French pastry chef born in Orléans in 1983, he revolutionized pâtisserie with SarKara, the first dessert-only restaurant awarded two Michelin stars (2019–2020). In 2024 he was named “World’s Best Pastry Chef” by Les Grandes Tables du Monde.
Born on May 29, 1983 in Orléans to a family of farmers, he grew up surrounded by the sweet aromas of his mother’s market stall at Châtelet. As a teenager, he left scientific high school to pursue his true vocation: pâtisserie. He first earned a CAP in Pâtissier-glacier-chocolatier-confiseur, followed by a BEP in food studies with a pastry specialization, and later a complementary mention in “cuisinier en desserts de restaurant.” From 2003 to 2005, he trained at the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure de la Pâtisserie in Yssingeaux.
He began his career working under Philippe Morin in his hometown, then joined renowned establishments such as Pierre Hermé, Le Meurice with Yannick Alléno, Le Balzac with Pierre Gagnaire, and later abroad at Le Reflet at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai. In 2014, he became executive pastry chef for the K2 Collections group, overseeing pastry for three sites, including the two-Michelin-starred Kintessence.
In December 2017, he opened SarKara (from the Sanskrit for “sugar fragment”) at the K2 Palace in Courchevel: the world’s first fine-dining restaurant dedicated exclusively to pastry, offering a complete gastronomic sequence — starter, main, cheese, and dessert — all conceived as sweet creations. In 2019, SarKara became the first dessert-only restaurant to earn a Michelin star, followed by a second in 2020: Vauxion thus became the first pastry chef in the world to receive two Michelin stars. His style, known as “cuisine pâtissière,” places fruits, vegetables, and natural ingredients at the center, avoiding added sugar or salt, and redefines pastry as a form of haute cuisine.
Among his iconic creations are steamed white onion with elderberry and spices, Williams pear encased in a sugar crust with green anise, or whimsical desserts such as “bonbons de pommes de terre” (potatoes cooked in browned butter with vanilla, lemon, and sancho pepper) paired with double cream and caramel. He also appeared on the TV show Top Chef, challenging contestants with one of his signature desserts.
In 2023, he was named “Pastry Chef of the Year” by Gault & Millau, acknowledging his creative vision and technical mastery. In 2024, the association Les Grandes Tables du Monde crowned him World’s Best Pastry Chef.
In 2025, Vauxion fulfilled a long-held dream by opening his first pâtisserie-café in Annecy, located on rue de la Poste. This warm, accessible space offers both sophisticated pastries and plant-based options in a more urban and convivial format, while he continues his role at K2.
Beyond his professional achievements, Vauxion emphasizes his agricultural roots: the son of farmers, he often recalls how this upbringing taught him respect for raw materials and the essential role of producers in every successful creation.
