SubscriberFood & Drink

Luxury pastry: seduction by all means

Figures in the luxury pastry sector have had ups and downs over the past five years. Chefs had to learn to juggle the overrepresentation social media has to offer with crises linked to Covid and the increase of raw material prices.

Samia Tawil

By Samia Tawil20 juin 2023

French pastry chef Cédric Grolet's famous realistic fruit pastries are a hit on Instagram (Shutterstock)

Pastry has known exponential growth since the rise of Instagram. The immediacy of colors and attractiveness of textures make it one of the trendiest hashtags in 2023, with 12 200 000 posts for Q1 alone. Some chefs are, therefore, happily embracing the social media trend, thus popularizing a sector that could seem opaque.

Register

Newsletter

Be notified of the latest publications and analyses

Cédric Grolet: the Master of social networks bridges two worlds

Pastry chef Cédric Grolet (International Culinary Academy)
Rubik's cube-inspired pastry by chef Cédric Grolet (Shutterstock)

Cédric Grolet is a master when it comes to connecting with his online audience, through videos he films himself, and in which he happily shows the process behind his creations. Far from a learning tutorial, he rather offers magic, with videos showcasing complex pastries seemingly made in a snap. Aesthetics indeed play a key role in Grolet’s success. Impressive hyperrealist fruit-shaped pastries of which he alone owns the secret, attracting tourists from around the world, impatiently queuing in front of his shop on Avenue de l’Opéra. His appearances create hysteria. Yet, humbly, the chef doesn’t mind making himself available, by often leaving his atelier to meet his fans personally, and one then understands how much of a key role emotion plays in the audience’s loyalty when it comes to connecting with a chef or a place. Indeed, aficionados of Cédric Grolet’s pastries admire the man, the passion conveyed by this young chef, as much as the delicacy and technical aspect of his creations.

Pierre Hermé’s ultra-luxury haute couture cachet

Pastry chef and chocolatier Pierre Hermé (DR)

Considered as the best pastry chef in the world, Pierre Hermé benefits from a solid and long-standing reputation, with over sixty boutiques worldwide and a turnover of one hundred million euros in Japan alone, a market which today represents 40% of his income. His café concept in collaboration with Dior has created even further enthusiasm around the exclusivity of his creations: ultra-luxury at its finest, landscaped in futuristic-design spaces. In spite of this blatant success, he continues to innovate by partnering with young designers for his packaging, and by launching a vegan line. His recent partnership with the Walter Butler group, now majority shareholders of the brand, allows him to push his growth further: “The brand is doing well, with higher sales than before the sanitary crisis, and turnover should significantly increase over the next five years,” says Butler. The “nomad pastries” concept by the brand has, in fact, tripled sales via its website during the crisis.

To continue reading this articles, subscribe now

CHF 10.- per month / CHF 99.- per year

  • Unlimited access to all paid content
  • Industry analysis you won't find anywhere else.
  • In-depth case studies on key business challenges.
  • Academic analyses, studies and publications written by professors and researchers from the Swiss Center for Luxury Research and some foreign universities.
  • Members-only events to grow your knowledge and network.

Share the post

Keep reading

Alain Ducasse: gastronomy and the bet of eco-responsibility
Food & Drink

Alain Ducasse: gastronomy and the bet of eco-responsibility

Amaury Bouhours, young chef at the restaurant Le Meurice is part of the new guard trained by Alain Ducasse’s ethics. His sustainability principles are contributing to the commercial success of the Alain Ducasse Empire.

By Eva Morletto

High gastronomy: the inevitable rebirth
Food & Drink

High gastronomy: the inevitable rebirth

Closures of many starred establishments have put into light the business model’s challenging equation. Yet, the global catering market is doing well. New options are emerging, enabling chefs to carry on and finance their cuisine.

By Samia Tawil

Register

Newsletter

Be notified of the latest publications and analyses