Dimitri Fayard, USA

Classes Taught
2009 - World Championship Desserts

Success is not measured by how many medals or awards you have received but in how you share your knowledge with others, and the joy they receive from your passion for the craft.

World Pastry Champion, Chef Dimitri Fayard began his culinary training at the Lycée Pardailhan in Auch, France. He received his Certificat d'Aptitude Professionel de Cuisine (or CAP de Cuisine) and his CAP Pâtisserie, both French diplomas for culinary and pastry training which took four years to complete. He then began working with Chef Philippe Uracca, M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France meaning Best Craftsman in France) in Auch, France producing pastries for three of his highly acclaimed shops.

He left France for the first time and came to the United States in 1998 at age 19 to work for François Payard at his renowned shop in New York City. While at Payard's, he had the opportunity to work under another M.O.F., Jean Philippe Maury. During this time, he also met his future wife and fellow pastry chef, Keli, who had worked at The French Pastry School as an assistant in 1997 and later introduced Dimitri to Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F. Fayard reunited with his mentor, Jean Philippe Maury, M.O.F. in Las Vegas as one of Maury's Assistant Pastry Chefs at the Bellagio Hotel. He was responsible for a team of 11 other pastry professionals, and pastry production for four restaurants, a 24-hour café, two pastry shops, room service desserts, and all wedding cakes.

After working at the Bellagio for two years, he teamed up with his former colleague, Laurent Branlard, a World Pastry Champion, whom he had first met while working at Philippe Uracca's in France. They worked together at the Ritz-Carlton Corporate Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. During this period, Fayard won three gold medals at the Atlanta Pastry Classic Competition in 2001.

Chef Fayard came to Chicago in 2002 as part of the opening team at the Hotel Sofitel Water Tower as the Executive Pastry Chef at the young age of 23. Just one year later, opened his own business in Chicago, Vanille Pâtisserie, with his wife, Keli Fayard. Their upscale French pastry shop specializes in tarts, entremets, chocolate candies, breakfast pastries, and wedding cakes.

Fayard continued to challenge himself and receive recognition. In 2007, he was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America by Pastry Art & Design magazines. In 2008, he returned to the competition arena in the World Pastry Championship in Nashville, Tennessee. Alongside Stéphane Tréand, M.O.F. and Laurent Branlard, Fayard helped the United States team take the gold medal becoming a World Pastry Champion.

Having learned from masters, working in many different sectors in the industry on two continents, and winning prestigious competitions, Fayard is thrilled to bring his experience and passion to his students at The French Pastry School in teaching the cakes, tarts and entremets part of the 24-week program, and to inspire them as a mentor.