Discover Tess Evans-Mialet in 5 pastries

Tess Evans-Mialet is a young pastry chef with an impressive career path. Having worked at Claire Damon, Le Meurice and Le Clarence in Paris, she has been head pastry chef at L'Alpaga in Megève since 2022. Tess Evans-Mialet is also keen to work with local produce, and has a keen interest in high-mountain aromatic plants and their virtues, which can be found in many of her desserts. Here are five creations to discover her world.

Saint-Honoré from my mountains

"Saint-Honoré represents me well, as I've worked in some of Paris's top establishments, including Le Meurice with Cédric Grolet. It's my favorite cake, and all the basic techniques are there: puff pastry, choux pastry, caramel, pastry cream... It's a lovely ode to our craft! Also, this dessert represents me well, because I'm trying to have a more eco-responsible, forward-looking pastry, so I'm replacing vanilla with meadowsweet. My team and I pick it in the hotel gardens in summer - it's a real moment of sharing. The scents are quite similar to vanilla and I know that this aromatic has not crossed half the planet or been produced in obscure conditions. Finally, its price is also much lower."

Tea time

"I created tea time when I arrived at L'Alpaga, as a tribute to my grandmothers, without whom I probably wouldn't be in this business. My paternal grandmother, of English origin, often made me scones, while my maternal grandmother was always baking something. I bring these two worlds together, for example with an infusion of local herbs reminiscent of Earl Grey. It's also an ode to the terroir, with a bescoin, a traditional Haute-Savoie saffron brioche in which caraway, also known as mountain cumin, is added. There's also a hogweed cheesecake, a waffle with old Beaufort and crispy bacon, and épogne. We have a very rich terroir, with many mountain plants offering a varied range of aromas! All presented on locally sourced Savoyard pottery and a tree with locally produced wooden leaves."

Pear, rosehip and pike roe

"Thisis a gluten-free, lactose-free and nut-free dessert on the plate. It's a special treat for allergy sufferers, whose lives are often less gourmet than others. It's made up of pear, with a beautiful interplay of textures and temperatures, a rosehip sorbet and pike roe, which will bring the fatty side like an egg or a dairy product, but also a certain salinity. There's alot of color and deliciousness, with truly local products!"

Savoy cookie

"The Savoy cookie is obviously typical of the region. Here, I've replaced the white sugar with mountain honey, which is more local, better for your health and adds a slightly special aromatic touch. We get our honey from a beekeeper based in Domancy, with whom I'm in regular contact. I like working hand in hand with suppliers and artisans with whom I share the same values. When they're out of certain products, I like to understand why... It allows me to better value what they do."

Hot cider, apple, turmeric

"This creation is a pre-dessert; a prelude. I always suggest a drink after the cheese platter. Here, it's a hot cider from Domaine Les Pentes, which I infuse with fresh turmeric. Next to it, we have a small bowl with a quenelle of cooked apple sorbet and a mousse that I infuse with turmeric, apple peelings and cores. It's a zero-waste approach that I apply to all my desserts! And when I can't use certain elements, they end up as compost that we spread on our vegetable garden."

If this collaboration has inspired you to discover her world, read the Gault&Millau review and all the practical information on the Table de l'Alpaga page.