International Culinary Center Taps Pastry Pros For Industry-Wide Bake Sale

The International Culinary Center has announced plans to present the culinary world’s first pastry expo old school bake sale.

Pastry Plus is the larger industry only conference aimed at putting the spotlight on pastry chefs and highlighting the industry and the how the network works together as a force. Founded by Jansen Chan, Director of Pastry Operations at the ICC, the event  “aims to connect the innovative minds of pastry professionals, providing a rare opportunity to meet and network in a positive, constructive environment to talk about the issues facing them individually and in the industry as a whole.”  

Dominique Ansel, Ron-Ben Israel, Emily Luchetti, Jacques Torres and Christina Tosi of Milk Bar are all Pastry Plus advisory members. The first-ever Pastry Plus is a platform to address the evolving workplace, to learn about industry innovations and to expand the sphere of the modern pastry chef

Part of that platform includes Pastryland – the dessert world’s biggest bake sale  – helmed by some of the industry’s most influential chefs –  benefiting City Harvest.

“What we wanted to do was create an event that allowed pastry chefs to taste each other’s food and give back at the same time. City Harvest has always been a great partner and they were excited to work with us on this,” said Jansen Chan.

Aside from being one of the biggest pastry conventions in the city, Pastry Plus and Pastryland are set apart from other dessert celebrations for something that is missing: competition. 

Jansen explains “Most pastry events are super competitive and pit chef against chef. We wanted to create a space that brought chefs together instead.” Jansen actually pitched the concept to the late Dorothy Cann Hamilton, founder and CEO of the institute, in 2016. Three days later she passed away. “She loved the idea immediately and we are excited to bring it to life for her. It is very much Dorothy – a coming of minds event.”

The theme for the event was easy for the team to conceptualize. “It will be whimsical and fun.” A giant eight-foot wall of piped icing greets visitors who then move through a corridor of colors. When they arrive to the sale, ready-to-eat and take treats will be on display from chefs including Anna Bolz of Per Se, Jiho Kim, Executive Pastry Chef at The Modern, Justine MacNeil, Executive Pastry Chef at Del Posto, Thomas Raquel of Le Bernardin and more.