Cédric Grolet responds to those who think the long lines one for his cakes are excessive. He states that everything he does is artisanal and that he will not succumb to the industry's enticements to "automate" his service. Meanwhile, controversy ignites when guests pick up their cakes only after waiting 2.5 hours in line.
The news
Cédric Grolet is the record-breaking pastry chef; it's hard not to know him: we're talking about a young French talent who has 6 million followers on Instagram and oversees the pastries at Le Meurice. He was honored with the title of Best Pastry Chef by 50 Best in 2018. Today, he has several locations located between England and France while running the well-known pastry shop at Hotel Le Meurice in Paris, where long lines of sweet tooths yearn for a taste of his sweet creations every day. Not everyone, however, has patience, and there have been some who have voiced their disagreement regarding the wait. 
© Jean-Gabriel Barthélemy
"People on the street tell me they are annoyed by having to wait in line for a cake for two and a half hours. I am truly sorry for that, however we do our best to keep the quality high. I don't want to turn into an industrial company by opening multiple stores in Paris. We have no investors, and I am alone with my small team. I prefer to go my own way and continue to be the pastry chef connected to his origins who has his small artisanal workshop," says the famous pastry chef.
Quality is paramount for Cédric, who recently pointed out directly: "No school can teach my techniques," giving emphasis to the complexity that distinguishes his creations. The pastry chef discovered the world of pastries as a child when he started to cook creams and jams with his grandfather, a chef himself, when he was only 6 years old. "Already at that time I wanted to make cakes, but to be honest, even later I don´t recall thinking that I would ever do something different. There was a time when I played soccer and my parents fantasized about me becoming a successful soccer player, but that didn’t happen."
He made his first cake when he was 12 years old, using a recipe from a bakery in the Auvergne region, where he lived with his parents. "One summer I picked strawberries and raspberries in a garden for a farmer, and in addition to my pay, he rewarded me with a basket of these delicious fruits. As soon as I returned home, I made a cake using the fruits as a topping, added some green almond paste, and wrote lettering on the top that said, strawberry cake."
Three years later he went to pastry school, and by 2006 he was already working in the industry. By the time he turned 26 he was pastry sous chef at Le Meurice. Only one year later, he stepped into the footsteps of his master and became the main pastry chef. Now he has gained lots of recognition and uses social media to share his work with the world. It really is all about art, after all. He is known for his use of the trompe l'oeil technique, a visual game by which you induce the viewer to imagine what you intend to convey. "Together with the team we are constantly testing new recipes, some creations turn out good the first time and others need a decade to finalize."
In any case, his creations are certainly not replicable on the spur of the moment (at most you might test yourself at making some of his croissants, for which he gave us the recipe). With all that said, to enjoy desserts of such quality, you will need to keep waiting two hours in line.
Source: elpais.com
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