Jacques Pfeiffer

Founder of The French Pastry School, which was recently honored with the prestigious Jean Banchet Award for Best Culinary School, Pfeiffer began his radiant career at age 15 when he apprenticed at Jean Clauss’ Pastry Shop in Strasbourg, France.

A call to serve his country kept him on his path; Pfeiffer became the private pastry chef to Admiral Phillipe Le Jeune of the French Navy. Following his service to France, the next years were spent gaining varied experiences in other parts of the world. First Pfeiffer accepted a position in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the Executive Pastry Chef for the Royal Family. From there he joined several of his countrymen in Palo Alto, California, when he went to work for the estimable Douce France. Pfeiffer’s next assignment was as the Pastry Chef for the richest man in the world, His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei. There, he supervised a variety of production centers, which included the orchestration of desserts for countless state dinners and lavish banquets at the palace. Next Pfeiffer became the Executive Pastry Chef at the Hyatt Regency, Hong Kong, where he developed a new line of exclusive desserts and fine chocolates.

In 1992 Chef Pfeiffer made his Chicago debut when he arrived for a position with the Fairmont Hotel, the same year that he won the gold medal at the National Pastry Chef Competition in New York. He later accepted the position of Executive Pastry Chef at the new Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, where his state-of-the-art pastry shop catered to five restaurants, 1,200 guest-rooms, and a 4,000-person capacity ballroom – the largest in the Midwest.

Known as a masterful stylist, in everything from chocolate showpieces to plated desserts, Pfeiffer has created countless desserts and room amenities for celebrities like Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, and Oprah Winfrey. Today, Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer continues to share his passion, enthusiasm and expertise for creating world-class pastry with his students at The French Pastry School.

Some of Chef Pfeiffer’s other accolades and accomplishments include:

1995 U.S. team member competing in the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France, where his team took the bronze.
1995 Winner of the first National Chocolate Competition, Masters of Chocolate, which allowed him to compete in Paris at the Grand Prix International de la Chocolaterie, where he won first prize for presentation and second prize overall for his masterpiece, Lore of Flight.
1996 Captain of the U.S. Team in the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, taking the silver medal.
Named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in the United States by both Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines in both 1996 and 1997.
1997 Member of the U.S. team competing in the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie that won a silver medal in Lyon, France, competing against chefs from 16 countries.
Invited, in an elite group of seven chefs, to the White House in 1998 to create a confectionery showpiece for the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Member of the gold medal 2000 National Pastry Championship team in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Co-manager and coach of the victorious U.S. team at the 2002 World Pastry Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2004 Pastry Chef of the Year at World Pastry Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Named Jean Banchet Celebrity Pastry Chef of the Grand Chefs Gala 2005 in Chicago, Illinois.
Consultant, with Sebastien Canonne, for the Rhapsody restaurant in Chicago, the Atlantis Hotel, Bahamas, and the Adolphus Hotel, Dallas.
Consultant, with Sebastien Canonne, for Jean Banchet’s celebrated restaurant, Le Francais.
Awarded a place on the Chicago Tribune’s Good Eating Honor Roll, which recognizes members of the food industry making a difference in Chicago through their commitment, quality, vision and zeal.