Pastry Chef Keiko Nagae, Japan / France

Even though she studied law in her hometown of Tokio, her passion for gastronomy, especially desserts, brought her to Paris. She attended the famous Cordon Bleu school and then worked for three more years at the even more famous Ladurée pâtisserie. Her CV includes positions such as the pastry chef at the Sketch fine dining restaurant in London, Le Meurice in Paris, Michel Troisgros’s restaurant at Hotel Lancaster. The renowned chef Pierre Gagnaire entrusted her with the dessert menu when he was opening his restaurants in Paris. In 2012 she founded her own company AROME – Pastry Consulting. Her focus is on creating original recipes for clients (chefs around the world or partners in the food industry) and developing concepts for cafés and pastry shops.

The worldwide fame of Keiko Nagae is based on her innovative and eclectic pastry style, where she often uses traditional Japanese ingredients such as yuzu, and her desserts and pastries are praised for their elegant appearance and geometric design. She is a member of Le Nanas de la Food Sphere, an organization that promotes the importance of women in gastronomy.