5-Star Chef Series

The Art of Sugar Showpieces Emphasizing Structure and Color, Airbrushing Techniques for Pastillage
9.14.2009-9.16.2009

PreGel Facility (Concord, NC)
8am-5pm

Instructor: Laurent Branlard.

The first-ever 5-Star Chef Series seminar successfully kicked off September 14-16, 2009 with two-time World Champion Pastry Chef Laurent Branlard. The series was attended by 12 highly accomplished pastry chefs from across the country from well-known resorts and businesses such as the Ritz Carlton of Orlando, Norwegian Cruise Line, Waldorf Astoria of New Orleans and the Ed Roc Renaissance Resort and Spa.

With Chef Branlard leading the way, the class focused on mastering highly skilled techniques for creating competition-worthy sugar showpieces. Combining both demonstration and hands-on assistance, Chef Branlard was able to teach the attendees:

• How to create pastillage with his own personal recipe
• New and innovative airbrush techniques
• The optimal way to pour, blow and pull sugar

 

 

Unique to the class, Chef Branlard also shared some of his secret award-winning techniques. Using PreGel's Magic Sugar product, he demonstrated:

 

• His personal casting and molding skills with Magic Sugar
• How to incorporate sugar molds with company logos into showpieces
• Ways to preserve and display sugar showpieces by building inexpensive glass showcase boxes
  

 

 

 

By the seminar's end, the class was able to complete a total of nine stunning sugar showpieces, 6 created by the attendees, and 3 designed and executed by Chef Branlard himself.

 

 

Attendees' reviews for the seminar were overwhelmingly positive and many attendees expressed a desire to attend future seminars with both Chef Branlard and other 5-Star Chefs (See testimonials below).  For upcoming seminars, please click here.

 

TESTIMONIALS

"The class provided by PreGel AMERICA and Laurent Branlard would be a valuable asset to any pastry chef. The tricks of the trade and tips for airbrushing techniques will really enhance my showpieces in the future."
     - Neil Adams, Executive Pastry Chef, Charlotte Country Club

 

"I had the privilege to participate [in the] first class of the 5-Star Chef experience... the kitchen, is what all chef's will dream about, top of the line equipment, large, clean and well designed. It was a fabulous experience, the class was presented by Laurent Branlard which couldn't be better represented, the students were top quality and PreGel made us feel at home the first day."
     - Eric Bilodeau, Corporate Pastry Chef, Norwegian Cruise Line

 

"I really appreciated the experience at the PreGel school... the establishment is splendid. Personally, as a pastry chef I discovered so many techniques from Chef Laurent... seeing this master build 3 magnificent showpieces was amazing." 
     - Guillaume Marchaud, Executive Pastry Chef, Ritz Carlton Sarasota

 

 "It was great to be part of the first group to attend the 5-Star Chef Series and work with a Chef of the caliber of Laurent Branlard. I have to say thanks to Pregel America for organizing this event, providing the facilities and the attention to make it successful and also presenting  the revolutionary product Magic Sugar to the pastry industry."

     - Rabii Saber, Pastry Chef, The Greenbrier