Dominique Ansel is the World's Best Pastry Chef according to the James Beard Foundation in 2017 and the inventor of the cronut. A successful entrepreneur and author, he has taken over the Big Apple.
Born in 1978 in Beauvais, France, Dominique Ansel trained in the hospitality industry, gradually shifting his focus towards pastry. After a period as a seasonal worker at "Fauchon," he was hired and remained with the maison for eight years. However, Dominique became famous in New York City. Arriving in the Big Apple under the guidance of Daniel Boloud at the "Daniel" restaurant during the years it earned a prestigious third MICHELIN Star, the turning point came in 2011.
Dominique opened the "Dominique Ansel Bakery" in the Soho district, becoming a reference point for his creations and, most notably, for the famous cronut: a croissant in the shape of a donut, conceived in 2013. The following year, he received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in the United States and was included in Crain's list of the top 40 innovative people under 40.
In 2015, he opened the gastronomic space "Dominique Ansel Kitchen" and also inaugurated a bakery-pastry shop in Japan; the same year, he received the L'Ordre du Mérite Agricole Award. The following year, he opened a pastry shop in London where unique creations like the Cookie Shot, a chocolate cookie in the shape of a shot glass filled with Tahitian vanilla iced milk, and Frozen S'mores can be enjoyed. In 2017, Dominique was awarded the title of World's Best Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation.
In addition to his excellent culinary career, Dominique is known for his involvement in various charitable organizations, including the Food Bank for New York City, City Harvest, and God's Love We Deliver. In just the first year of the cronut, Dominique helped raise over $100,000 by auctioning off only 24 of the crispy pastries.
Dominique has also authored two cookbooks: "Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes" in 2014 and "Everyone Can Bake: Simple Recipes to Master & Mix" in 2020.
