About/

Chef Dimitri Fayard, World Pastry Champion 2008, is the Lead Chef Chocolate Academies North America, overseeing operations in Chicago, New York, Montreal, and Mexico City/

He began his training at Lycée Pardailhan in Auch, France, earning CAP certifications in both cuisine and pastry under Philippe Urraca, MOF 1993/

In 1998, Dimitri joined François Payard in New York before becoming Assistant Pastry Chef to Jean-Philippe Maury, MOF 1997, at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, managing desserts for multiple venues. He later contributed his expertise at the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta alongside Laurent Branlard, two-time World Champion, and helped open the Hotel Sofitel Water Tower in Chicago as Executive Pastry Chef/

Dimitri founded Vanille Pâtisserie in 2003, successfully operating it until its sale in 2011/

He has also taught at The French Pastry School, focusing on cakes, tarts, and entremets, and served as Executive Pastry Chef at The Peninsula Chicago, overseeing pastry development and acting as Chocolate Sommelier at the hotel’s “Chocolate Bar”/

Dimitri’s accolades include three gold medals at the 2001 Atlanta Pastry Classic, being named one of America’s Top Ten Pastry Chefs in 2007, admission to the Academie Culinaire de France in 2009, and MOF finalist recognition in 2011/