Sébastien Canonne MOF (born 1968) is 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 ...

and co-founder of the

French Pastry School The French Pastry School (FPS) is a vocational secondary school located in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Its courses cover pastry, baking and confectionery arts. The French Pastry School is a for-profit school,Ben Goldberger“New Che ...

in Chicago, the Butter Book online platform, and EQUII. In 2004, he earned the title of

Meilleur Ouvrier de France ''Meilleur Ouvrier de France'' (MOF) is a competition for craftsmen held in France every four years. The winning candidates receive a medal. Description The title of ''Meilleur Ouvrier de France'' is a unique and prestigious award in France, a ...

. In 2012, he was named a knight by the French government in the Order of Academic Palms, and in 2015, in the

National Order of the Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

.Janet Rausa Fuller
"Chicago Pastry Chef Sebastien Canonne Wins France's Top Award,"
DNAinfo Chicago, September 15, 2015.

Early life and education

Canonne was born and raised in Normandy, France.Erik Unger
"Sebastien Canonne,"
''

Crain's Chicago Business ''Crain's Chicago Business'' is a weekly business newspaper in Chicago, IL. It is owned by Detroit-based Crain Communications. History The first issue of ''Crain's Chicago Business'' is dated April 17, 1978. In 1977, when Crain Communicati ...

'', November 3, 2007. His training began at the Culinary School of Rouen in Normandy when he was 15.William Rice
"Prince Of Pastry,"
''Chicago Tribune'', June 11, 1995. He had a culinary apprenticeship at the School of Hospitality and Hotel Management in Rouen, Normandy, followed by a pastry apprenticeship under chef Gaston Lenôtre."Dessert Professional’s Top Ten Pastry Chefs in North America 2015,"
''Dessert Professional'', August 24, 2015.

Career

Canonne has worked at a variety of fine-dining restaurants and luxury hotels, including three-star

Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...

restaurants; the Pré Catelan in Paris and the Côte Saint Jacques in Burgundy, France; the

Beau-Rivage Palace The Beau-Rivage Palace is a historical luxury five-star hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is located in Ouchy, on the shores of Lake Léman. The hotel opened in 1861 and the current main building was constructed in Art Nouveau and neo-baroq ...

in Geneva; the Euler Palace Hotel in Basel, Switzerland; and the Palais de l'Elysée in Paris for French president

François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...

. He moved to the United States in 1991, becoming the executive pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chicago.Rick Bayless
"The Honor Roll,"
''Chicago Tribune'', October 18, 2000. In 2004, Canonne earned the title of

, the highest distinction for an artisan in France. The title is determined through a contest held once every three to four years. He was the first pastry chef living in the United States to be awarded the honor.Ben Goldberger
"New Chef Will Help Pastry Level to Rise,"
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', February 6, 2010. From 1995 to 2020, chefs Sébastien Canonne and fellow master pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer founded and operated the

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, a vocational secondary school to teach traditional French pastry making. It was the only school in the United States dedicated entirely to the art of pastry. In 2012, Canonne was knighted in the

Order of the Academic Palms Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

, recognizing outstanding merit and contributions in education. In 2015, Canonne was knighted in the Order of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, recognizing outstanding merit and contributions to French culture. In 2020, Cannone launched an online video series of classes called The Butter Book. In 2021, Canonne launched with Bridor, “The Pains Cuisinés”. In 2022, Canonne and several partners co-founded EQUII, a food technology company. The company produces high-protein, low-carbohydrate flour.

Film and television appearances

Canonne is featured in the 2009 documentary film '' Kings of Pastry'', directed by D.A. Pennebaker and

Chris Hegedus Chris Hegedus (born April 23, 1952) is an American documentary filmmaker. She and her husband, filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker, founded the company Pennebaker Hegedus Films. Hegedus was nominated for an Academy Award for '' The War Room'', a behind ...

, which documented Jacquy Pfeiffer's attempt to earn the title of

. Canonne served as Pfeiffer's coach in the competition. Canonne was a mentor and judge on season 2 of '' Top Chef: Just Desserts'' in 2011.Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff
"Top Chef Just Desserts, Season 2, Episode 10: The Finale,"
Eater.com, October 27, 2011.

References

External links

Biography

The Butter Book

Bridor

EQUII
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canonne, Sebastien 1968 births Living people Pastry chefs French chefs Founders of American schools and colleges Businesspeople from Rouen Chefs from Chicago Knights of the Legion of Honour Educators from Illinois