Valrhona’s Iconic 6 event in Dubai

A culinary-dating experience like no other! 

Valrhona’s mission has always been to foster a collective movement which brings together all cocoa, chocolate, and gastronomy players to push boundaries, create a fair and sustainable cocoa sector - a gastronomy that does good and tastes great.  Following Pierre Hermé and Frédéric Bau “Reasoned Gourmandise” week event in February that saw a gathering of 250 chefs from the IMEA region, Valrhona continues to highlight the importance of sharing knowledge, challenge the culinary world, open importance dialogue for a responsible gastronomy with this more intimate reunion. 

Delighting you with an exclusive event, Valrhona brought the team of Relais Desserts for a 3-hour intimate afternoon tea at Jumeirah Al Naseem where you were able to discuss current trends, competition, business opportunity and the importance of knowledge sharing while discovering the entremets that made each of The Iconic 6 esteemed by all - with Frédéric Cassel, Vincent Guerlais, Pascal Lac, Eric Vergne, Sébastien Bouillet and Glenn Noel.

• Frédéric Cassel, previous President of Relais Desserts for 15 years, “Pâtissier of the Year award” in 2007, “Talents du Goût” award in 2008, and “Meilleur Millefeuille Île de France award”, is highly recognized by the Pastry World for his role in 2013 - being the President of the French team - winner of the worldwide pastry cup that year. Passionate and always seeking excellence, he talked about the World Pastry Cup and its challenges, as well as his vision of the future in Pastry. 

• Joined by Vincent Guerlais, President of Relais Desserts since 2018, is considered as one of the best chocolatiers in France, having been crowned multiple times with the Award Chocolat since 2008. Always avant-guard, he discussed his successes and famous e-shop – and shared few tips.

• Adored by the gourmets of Nice, Pascal Lac is a master of « taste ». Without hesitation nor pretense, he exalts fruit, worships texture, and glories chocolate. He shared with us the importance of sharing your knowledge and values, and what is takes to last in the Chocolatier business. 

• At the head of a family enterprise founded in 1977 in Lyon, Sébastien Bouillet has now open its doors in Tokyo at Isetan-Shinjuku. He shared with us his opening in Japan and experience in running a business in 2 countries. 

• Whether it is a simple éclair or a festive meal, every Eric Vergne creation in the last 50 years has received the same undivided attention. He shared with us more details about Relais Desserts and the importance to have such a recognized entity for the World of Pastry. 

• Glenn Noel, Pastry Chef at Ecole Valrhona and in charge of the IMEA region for the past three years, will share his unique savoir-faire, l’Ecole Valrhona and the experience he acquired in different part of the world, teaching different levels and offering training to Valrhona Cercle V customers. To him, the most important part of any dessert is the taste! 

Held at the Palmery restaurant in Jumeirah Al Naseem Dubai from 3pm to 6pm on Tuesday 22nd March 2022, our clients were able to share one-to-one interactions in an intimate and beautiful setting across the Burj Al Arab. More than chocolate, Valrhona aims to federate the community at all time.  

“Having grown up next door, I have known Valrhona since an early age. To me, Valrhona has always rhymed with quality – a company always at the forefront of innovation and with an undeniable consistency in their values and products. Today, I can see first-hand Valrhona's support to pastry Chefs and our industry around the world when organizing workshop, training, dedicated approach and technical support as well as events such as The Iconic 6, which brings a collective approach and open discussion to the pastry world. A proud moment for me!” said Julien Jacob, Pastry Chef of Jumeirah Al Naseem. 

Let’s talk gastronomy of tomorrow!