Pastry Chef. Considered the patriarch of the French pâtisserie industry. Born Gaston Albert Célestin Lenôtre in Saint Nicolas du Bosc, he was the son of a saucier chef at the famed Grand Hôtel de Paris and his wife, one of the first female chefs in Paris who was employed by the family of Baron Rothschild. He is recognized as the legendary innovator who revolutionized French pastry making in the early 1960s by removing heavy fats and sugar then used and replacing them with fruits and lighter ingredients such as gelatin and whipped egg whites. In 1964 his newly created catering service applied new techniques in freezing during production and the use of gelatins to stabilize mousses and quickly grew from weddings and small events to the capacity to serve thousands at a time. In 1971 he established a cooking school and research kitchen in Plaisir, west of Paris, to train professional pastry chefs and its graduates have helped transformed the industry. He was the founder of the French restaurant, catering, retail and cooking school empire Lenôtre, a worldwide group of 60 boutiques in 12 countries (including one at the Epcot Center), catering to every whim, from truffled pâté for 25,000 guests or a banquet for the queen of England, all with French flair, service and decorum. He was also the inspiration for the character Gusteau the chef in the 2007 Pixar film "Ratatouille." Died of cancer in Sennely, France.
Pastry Chef. Considered the patriarch of the French pâtisserie industry. Born Gaston Albert Célestin Lenôtre in Saint Nicolas du Bosc, he was the son of a saucier chef at the famed Grand Hôtel de Paris and his wife, one of the first female chefs in Paris who was employed by the family of Baron Rothschild. He is recognized as the legendary innovator who revolutionized French pastry making in the early 1960s by removing heavy fats and sugar then used and replacing them with fruits and lighter ingredients such as gelatin and whipped egg whites. In 1964 his newly created catering service applied new techniques in freezing during production and the use of gelatins to stabilize mousses and quickly grew from weddings and small events to the capacity to serve thousands at a time. In 1971 he established a cooking school and research kitchen in Plaisir, west of Paris, to train professional pastry chefs and its graduates have helped transformed the industry. He was the founder of the French restaurant, catering, retail and cooking school empire Lenôtre, a worldwide group of 60 boutiques in 12 countries (including one at the Epcot Center), catering to every whim, from truffled pâté for 25,000 guests or a banquet for the queen of England, all with French flair, service and decorum. He was also the inspiration for the character Gusteau the chef in the 2007 Pixar film "Ratatouille." Died of cancer in Sennely, France.
Bio by: Fred Beisser
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