Gaston Lenôtre (, 28 May 1920 – 8 January 2009) was a French
pastry chef
A pastry chef or pâtissier (; feminine pâtissière, ) is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bistros, restaurants, bakeries, b ...
. He is known as a possible creator of the opera cake (''gâteau opéra''), the founder of Lenôtre a culinary empire, whose brand includes restaurants, catering services, retail concerns and cooking schools, as well as one of the three founders with
Paul Bocuse
Paul François Pierre Bocuse (; 11 February 1926 – 20 January 2018) was a French chef based in Lyon known for the quality of his restaurants and his innovative approaches to cuisine. Dubbed "the pope of gastronomy", he was affectionately nick ...
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, US.
Lenôtre compared the making of pastry to architecture, where structure, materials and precision are key for making great pastries.
Biography
Lenôtre was born on a small farm in
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
, in the commune of Saint-Nicolas-du-Bosc. Both of his parents eventually moved the family to Paris and became restaurant workers. Lenôtre's mother worked as a pastry and general cook for a French baron and his father was a chef at the Grand Hôtel in Paris. Eventually, his father's ill health forced them to move back to Normandy where he struggled to find a chef position. Prior to the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Gaston Lenôtre would bicycle to Paris to sell homemade chocolates.
Following the war, Lenôtre opened a small bakery in Normandy. The venture was a success and in 1957 he came upon the opportunity to purchase a tiny bakery in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris. His new establishment did extremely well from the outset and is said to have presaged
nouvelle cuisine
Nouvelle cuisine (; 'new cuisine') is an approach to cooking and food presentation in French cuisine. In contrast to ''cuisine classique'', an older form of ''haute cuisine'', nouvelle cuisine is characterized by lighter, more delicate dishes and ...
. Lenôtre was renowned for concentrating on simple preparations and fresh ingredients, and for insisting on using the best butter in his pastries.
The year 1964 saw Lenôtre enter the catering field. Due in large part to improvements in freezing food perishables, he was able to quickly expand the number of diners he was able to serve.
The year 1971 saw Lenôtre open his first cooking school in
Plaisir, Yvelines
Plaisir () is a commune located in the heart of the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is located in the western outer suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris.
It borders among others on Élancourt (sout ...
France. Among the chefs who studied under Lenôtre there was
David Bouley
David Bouley (May 27, 1953 – February 13, 2024) was an American and French chef. He was a sole owner and chef of restaurants in Tribeca, New York City, best known for his flagship restaurant, Bouley.
Early life and education
Bouley was born o ...
Pierre Hermé
Pierre Hermé (; born 20 November 1961) is a French pastry chef and chocolatier. He began his career at the age of 14 as an apprentice to Gaston Lenôtre. Called "the Picasso of Pastry" by ''Vogue'', Hermé was awarded the title of World's Best ...
was an apprentice of his, as was the pastry chef Sébastien Canonne."Dessert Professional’s Top Ten Pastry Chefs in North America 2015," ''Dessert Professional'', August 24, 2015. The chef
Alain Ducasse
Alain Ducasse (; born 13 September 1956) is a French-born Monégasque chef. He operates a number of restaurants, including Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, which holds three stars (the top rating) in the Michelin Guide.
Early life and career
D ...
also worked under him.
In 1974 Lenôtre dispatched another then apprentice of his Michel Richard to open Chateau France a restaurant and patisserie on the East Side of Manhattan in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to spotlight the Lenôtre culinary style. It only stayed in business for a single year.
Quickly bouncing back from this failed venture, in 1982 he opened Les Chefs de France in the ''France Pavilion'' in
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
Paul Bocuse
Paul François Pierre Bocuse (; 11 February 1926 – 20 January 2018) was a French chef based in Lyon known for the quality of his restaurants and his innovative approaches to cuisine. Dubbed "the pope of gastronomy", he was affectionately nick ...
and
Roger Vergé
Roger Vergé (; 7 April 1930 – 5 June 2015) was a French chef and restaurateur. He is considered one of the greatest chefs of his time. The Gault Millau described him as "the very incarnation of the great French chef for foreigners".
Personal ...
Accor
Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide.
Accor ope ...
.
Death
Gaston Lenôtre died on 8 January 2009 at the age of 88 in Sennely,
Loiret
Loiret (; ) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. It takes its name from the river Loiret, which is contained wholly within the department. In 2019, Loiret had a population of 680,434.
Eure
Eure ( ; ; or ) is a department in the administrative region of Normandy, northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2021, Eure had a population of 598,934.
Published work
* ''Lenotre's Desserts and Pastries'', Barron's, 1978