Jacquy Pfeiffer

Coming Up

Training at Baldung Grien College was followed by apprenticeship at Jean Clauss Pâtisserie in Strasbourg, France, a start that placed Pfeiffer close to the structure and pace of classic French Pastry. The early years moved through a sequence of exacting kitchen posts, each one adding another layer of technique, endurance, and precision to the work. The scope then widened further through executive pastry chef roles at Sultan of Brunei, Royal Family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Hyatt Regency Hong Kong in Hong Kong. In 1991, Chicago became the next working ground, with Pfeiffer taking on executive pastry chef roles at Sheraton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Those appointments brought his existing craft into a new American hotel context without moving him away from the classical pastry framework that shaped his work. Today, Jacquy is co-founder, dean of student affairs, and pastry instructor of French Pastry School (since 1995) and co-owner of La Fournette (since 2012). The balance of those titles shows a career split between leadership, teaching, and the ongoing demands of pastry work.

Where They Are Now

He is president and co-founder of the French Pastry School in Chicago. That position keeps administration and instruction in the same frame, with Pfeiffer remaining active in both the structure of the school and the transfer of pastry technique. The school stands as the working center of a career organized around teaching, discipline, and the repetition required to keep tradition in circulation.

Signature

Jacquy's signature dishes include The Art of French Pastry and The Art of French Tarts. The two titles point to a pastry practice grounded in range and structure, and in the conversion of French Pastry into forms that can be studied, taught, and repeated.

In Their Words “It's only with time that the tradition will stick.” “It's a book of recipes with a lot of explanation.”

Honors

Jacquy's honors include James Beard Foundation Book Award for Best Cookbook in the Baking and Dessert category, International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for Best Cookbook in the Baking category, Pastry Hall of Fame induction, and Bretzel d'Or. Taken together, these recognitions mark his standing across pastry, publishing, and professional achievement, and they map the reach of his work within the trade.