Yazid Ichemrahen, Royal Monceau's new signature pastry chef

Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris welcomes a new pastry talent. Starting this spring 2024, Yazid Ichemrahen, known for his title as the youngest world champion of all pastry competitions combined, signs the sweet offering of the hotel's various outlets.

One bar and two restaurants

Yazid Ichemrahen, 32, didn't disappoint in landing this opportunity. "There wasa call for tenders and there were a lot of pastry chefs competing. The hotel teams did blind tastings of a dozen pastries, then we had to create a dessert for the gourmet restaurant, and I was selected," he sums up. "I didn't expect to be chosen, and more than just proud, I'm especially moved to be able to sign the desserts for such a hotel in Paris, a city where I sometimes slept outside in my early days," he recalls. "This opportunity gives me a lot of credibility, and I'm very happy for my colleagues, who have trusted me for years", says Yazid Ichemrahen, already at the helm of numerous boutiques in Courchevel, Mykonos and Gstaad.

The pastry chef is responsible for the sweet side of the various Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris restaurants, starting with the Italian gourmet restaurant Il Carpaccio, as well as Matsuhisa Paris and Bar Long. "On a day-to-day basis, Alexandre Favre will represent my name and expertise at the Royal Monceau. I travel a lot and I needed someone I could trust. I have a great connection with Alexandre and he has a very clear vision of what I want to do," he assures us.

The journey of a fighter

Yazid Ichemrahen's life, portrayed on the big screen in"À la belle étoile", is that of a fighter. Raised in foster care, the young boy threw himself heart and soul into baking, which became a real escape. As a teenager, he did his utmost to gain his first experience with Meilleur Ouvrier de France and World Pastry Champion Pascal Caffet. Yazid Ichemrahen then went on to work with Angelo Musa and Joël Robuchon. In the meantime, he also won the title of World Champion of Frozen Desserts, at just 22 years of age.

What's next? The opening of his first Parisian boutique by autumn 2024. "Five months ago, I didn't even know I was going to be taken on at the Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris, and I had already booked premises at 44 rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs in the Iᵉʳ arrondissement of Paris. I'm going to take the time to get to grips with this job at the Royal Monceau, and we'll open the boutique in the autumn. It's going to be a concept store designed like an apartment, so it'll feel like welcoming customers as if they were at home. It'll be great revenge to have a 'home' in Paris after sleeping outside!"