Summer 2024

equipment needed to prepare, primp
and prettify pâtisserie from ice cream to
chocolate and everything in between.
In one class I meet students of all ages
making vanilla brioche and caramel-coated
sponge fingers, and after just three weeks
training, they look good enough to be in a
pâtisserie. Another group are making healthy
desserts with less sugar and gluten free tarts
with chickpea meringue. There are dozens
of chef-teachers at the school including one
who specialises in gluten free. There are no
qualifications needed to take the course and I
ask one of the teachers if anyone can learn to
be a great pâtissier.
“I was looking for excellence, I wanted the
best” she says, “and here I found it. And yes
it’s very hard work, but very rewarding.” Marc,
a mature student who founded a successful
logistics company says but wanted a career
change enthuses, “I love cakes, and I love
making people happy with cakes,” and
planned to work as a pastry chef in a small
hotel in Provence after the course.
Cake ENSP
I happened to be there at the end of a training
course for some students, and joined an
awards ceremony in which they received their
diplomas, cheered on by proud chef tutors,
family and friends. A fantastic spread of jewel
like canapes and cakes, made to perfection
by the students, was the perfect way to pay
homage to their skills. I did them proud.
Chef brigade in training
toured some of the kitchens which were filled
with delicious aromas, students fileting fish,
chopping vegetables, mixing dough, plating
up food, all dressed in meticulously clean
white chef jackets and toques. “We’re not
training them to be Michelin Star chefs, though
some may ago on to achieve that,” one of
the teachers tells me “but to be the best they
can be. And it’s a serious job, it takes time to
make people happy which is what our job as
chefs and cooks is.” As with ENSP, there are no
formal qualifications, but an interview process
ensures that students are prepared for hard
work and have the right aptitude.
There’s also a fabulous restaurant onsite -
Adour. It’s decorated with copper pots and
pans from Alain Ducasse’s own collection.
It’s hugely popular (I spotted 2-Michelin starred
chef Thierry Marx enjoying a bowl of soup!), so
reserve in advance if you want to enjoy their
superb menu.
Adour
“Technique can be taught” says teacher chef
Ludovic, “the key requirements are motivation,
passion and hard work. But if you don’t have
passion, it will be a struggle.”
Some students will go on to be professional
pâtissiers, others are there because they love
to cook, love cakes, and want to be the best
they can possibly be. Coline from Lyon, a
former physiotherapist, told me she loves home
baking and wanted to develop her passion.
École Ducasse –
Paris Campus
In Meudon, in the Paris suburbs, a huge
campus caters to long term students with
courses geared to teach culinary skills to
students who come from around the world to
learn from the best. There are several courses
from two months to the three-year Bachelor
course, taught in French and in English for
the International students (80 nationalities). I
École Ducasse –
Paris Studio
Tucked away in a small side street in the
heart of Paris, École Ducasse – Paris Studio,
in the 16th arrondissement, is for those
who want to squish in a morning, afternoon
or day of developing culinary skills with
a top chef teacher. When I visited, I just
26 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 27