Death of pastry chef Gabriel Paillasson
Two-time Meilleur ouvrier de France Gabriel Paillasson, who was to pastry what Paul Bocuse was to cuisine, has joined the sweet stars. He was 79 years old.
A "legend" and a "visionary" for some, an "emblematic figure" and a "passer of knowledge" for others, tributes have been pouring in since the announcement of Gabriel Paillasson's death.little publicized - he didn't seek the limelight - but very much involved in the transmission of knowledge, Gabriel Paillasson, known as "Gaby", was a benchmark in the world of pastry-making. was one of the world's leading pastry chefs, responsible for creating the World Pastry Cup in 1989.
Nicknamed the "Sweet Fire
He dreamed of painting or the Beaux-Arts, but in his village of Panissières in the Loire, his father would have none of it. As a teenager, he told him to find a "real" job. He could have been a hairdresser, but the village hairdresser wasn't looking for anyone. Across the street, on the other hand, the Imbert patisserie was hiring. That's how Gabriel Paillasson got his start in pastry-making, without really choosing. He continued his training in several different establishments before entering the Meilleur ouvrier de France Pâtisserie competition, which he won in 1972. He was not yet 30. The following year, he opened his first store in Saint-Fons, near Lyon, then attempted the Meilleur ouvrier de France Glacier competition in 1976 - it is said that he was one of the first to use a chainsaw to carve ice cream. He then became a double MOF, a rarity in the world of Meilleur ouvrier de France, all trades combined, which led him to say: " It's no great feat. It's not because you're a MOF that you're better or worse. You were good at the right time, that's all. "
Dedicated to the profession
Since his death, all the tributes have been unanimous: Gabriel Paillasson was committed to training, transmitting and promoting. It was in this spirit that he and a handful of colleagues conceived the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in 1989. That year, 12 nations competed in teams of 3 professionals (pastry chef, chocolatier, ice-cream maker) for 10 hours in front of the public. Over the years, the World Cup has grown in stature, bringing to the forefront professionals such as Pierre Marcolini for Belgium, Julien Alvares for Spain, Etienne Leroy, Jean-Thomas Schneider, Jérôme de Oliveira, Christophe Michalak, Philippe Rigollot or Angelo Musa for France... To this prestigious list, we must add MOF glacier Emmanuel Ryon, who paid him a vibrant tribute on social networks: " A star will shine in the sky. It will guide all pastry chefs. it's up to us to make your flame shine in the eyes of young people and show them the way. "That's exactly what Gabriel Paillasson was all about: passing on the torch.
Our thoughts are with his family, his loved ones and those he inspired.
