RENOWNED PASTRY CHEF JOINS PREGEL’S STAFF AND 5-STAR SERIES KICKS OFF
Thursday, September 24, 2009
PreGel AMERICA recently announced Chef Frederic Monti as the company's new corporate pastry chef. Chef Monti, a highly accomplished pastry chef and former executive pastry chef for the Greenbrier, will oversee the development of the pastry program at PreGel including product and recipe development, class instruction, and PreGel's 5-Star Chef Series and 5-Star Chef Ambassador programs.
President and CEO Marco Casol believes the addition of Chef Monti is the professional presence the company needs to continue to impact the pastry industry.
"We are thrilled that Chef Monti has joined our team. As we continue to establish ourselves as a top pastry provider, the skill set and experience Chef Monti brings to us is invaluable," said Casol.
Chef Monti's extensive resume includes previous pastry chef positions at top resorts such as Ritz Carlton-Naples and Ritz Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta, and a long list of accolades including a gold medal on Team Branlard at the 2007 National Pastry Championship, being named one of the "Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America" by Pastry Art & Design magazine in 2003 and 2004, and a silver medal at the 2003 National Pastry Championship. Chef Monti added coach to his resume last year as he coached a team to gold at the 2008 National Bread & Pastry Team Competition.
Before joining PreGel, Chef Monti was also recently named a 2009-2010 5-Star Chef for the company's 5-Star Chef Series, a series of exclusive seminars featuring the most current world-class pastry chefs dedicated to providing a superior level of instruction on pastry and dessert applications.
The series just recently completed its first seminar featuring two-time World Champion Laurent Branlard. Branlard's seminar, titled "The Art of Sugar Showpieces Emphasizing Structure and Color, Airbrushing Techniques for Pastilliage," focused on teaching up- and coming-chefs his award-winning techniques for sugar showpieces through demonstration and hands-on practice. From blown sugar and ribbons to unique, yet structurally sound pastillage designs, Laurent and the attendees created nine competition-worthy sugar works with PreGel's Magic Sugar.
Class attendee and Norwegian Cruise Line Corporate Pastry Chef Eric Bilodeau shared his thoughts on the first 5-Star seminar.
"I had the privilege to participate [in the] first class of the 5-Star Chef experience... the kitchen, is what all chef's will dream about, top of the line equipment, large, clean and well designed. It was a fabulous experience," said Bilodeau.
With the success of the first seminar, Chef Monti believes the 5-Star Chef Series and PreGel's pastry future are well on their way.
"It is an exciting time for PreGel and I am proud to be a part of the pastry program. Before joining the team, I was already extremely impressed with the 5-Star Chef Series and PreGel's pastry products," said Monti. "I am optimistic about the pastry industry's future knowing there is a company like PreGel out there supporting pastry chefs every step of the way.
