(Top, from right): Pastry Chefs Joshua Johnson, Donald Wressell and Scott Green pose during the 2011 Amoretti National Pastry Team Championship. The team, led by Wressell, won the competition and with it comes a chance to compete in the World Pastry Team Championship in 2012. (Bottom): images of their winning work, which was inspired by the book, The Rainforest Grew All Around, to fit with the theme, "your favorite book." Photos provided by The French Pastry School.
For the first time in history, an all American-born pastry chefs team will represent the United States in the World Pastry Team Championship in 2012.
Team Wressell took home first prize at the 2011 Amoretti National Pastry Team Championship in Phoenix to earn the honor. The theme was “your favorite book,” and the team drew inspiration from the children’s book The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell and illustrated by Connie McLennana.
Team Wressell was led by Los Angels Pastry Chef Donald Wressell, who is corporate chef at Guittard, and included Chicago’s own Scott Green, Joshua Johnson and alternate Della Gossett.
Team Wressell took home first prize at the 2011 Amoretti National Pastry Team Championship in Phoenix to earn the honor. The theme was “your favorite book,” and the team drew inspiration from the children’s book The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell and illustrated by Connie McLennana.
Team Wressell was led by Los Angels Pastry Chef Donald Wressell, who is corporate chef at Guittard, and included Chicago’s own Scott Green, Joshua Johnson and alternate Della Gossett.
Team Captain Wressell is a seasoned competitor who has garnered national and international recognition throughout his nearly 30 years in the industry. He says there’s nothing more difficult than preparing for a competition.
“It’s important to do because it keeps you sharp and focused on pastry,” he explains. “If forces you to get better; I never want to get relaxed or complacent in what I do.”
His teammates all are instructors from the The French Pastry School of Kennedy-King College. All the chefs received European-style training throughout their careers.
“All the technique that every pastry chef around the world learns is shared and handed down from their mentors,” Johnson says. “What we want to accomplish next year at the finals is to do our best to use those classic, European foundations in our quest for the first All-American team success.”
For more information about the competition and the events that took place, visit www.frenchpastryschool.com.
“It’s important to do because it keeps you sharp and focused on pastry,” he explains. “If forces you to get better; I never want to get relaxed or complacent in what I do.”
His teammates all are instructors from the The French Pastry School of Kennedy-King College. All the chefs received European-style training throughout their careers.
“All the technique that every pastry chef around the world learns is shared and handed down from their mentors,” Johnson says. “What we want to accomplish next year at the finals is to do our best to use those classic, European foundations in our quest for the first All-American team success.”
For more information about the competition and the events that took place, visit www.frenchpastryschool.com.
