SPOTLIGHT! Eric Lanlard on Mastering Pastry
Eric Lanlard, Master Pâtissier and twice winner of the prestigious Continental Pâtissier of the Year at the British Baking Awards, trained in France, and moved to London where aged 22 he became the head pastry chef for Albert and Michel Roux. Today, he owns Cake Boy, a destination café, cake emporium and cookery school based in London. He has earned himself an international reputation for superlative baked creations for an impressive A-list clientele and highlights cooking for HM The Queen as his proudest cooking moment.
In Eric’s workshop, he shares his passion for pastry which started at the very young age of 5 when he became fascinated by the glamour and beautiful displays at local patisserie shops. By the age of 7, Eric was baking with his sister and had completely fallen in love with how rewarding baking was. Eric recalls that when his friends were collecting football team stickers he was buying high-end food and baking magazines!
If you’re thinking of trying Eric’s pastry workshop, here are Eric’s top tips:
“Always use the best ingredients you can, weigh them out carefully and get all your equipment ready first so you can enjoy the process. Then the main thing to avoid is overworking your pastry. If you do, it will shrink and go hard”. In Eric’s workshop he expands on these tips and leads you through pastry making, every step of the way.
When it comes to Workshop, Eric thinks the main strength is the intimacy between the user and the mentor. The way it’s filmed makes it feel like you’re in a one-to-one class with the teacher, taking you through every step in a simple and gentle way. I also like the opportunities to add little tips and explanations of what could go wrong and how to resolve them.”
In the future, Eric would love to see a chocolate workshop on the platform as so many people are keen to make their own truffles and bonbons at home. Watch this space!
Interested in sharing your own expertise and becoming a Workshop Mentor like Eric Lanlard?
Register interest for early access to the free Workshop Mentor app (coming soon) to create your own workshops from home.