Eric Lanlard

Eric Lanlard

Famous French pastry chef and chef
Country: Pakistan

Content:
  1. Biography of Eric Lanlard
  2. Collaboration with the Roux Brothers
  3. Television Career and Achievements
  4. Current Endeavors
  5. Personal Life

Biography of Eric Lanlard

Early Life and Career

Eric Lanlard, a renowned French pastry chef and cook, was born in Plomelin, Brittany. At the age of five, he became fascinated with the world of pastry as he watched the displays in a local bakery in his hometown of Quimper called "Le Grand." He started working there at the age of 18, learning the art of pastry making. Lanlard credits the legendary French chef Antonin Carême as a major source of inspiration.

Eric Lanlard

After his apprenticeship, Lanlard pursued a career as a chocolatier in Arens-Scheer, Luxembourg. However, he was called to serve in the French navy, where he worked as a chef aboard the cruiser "Jeanne d'Arc," the flagship at the time. His culinary skills impressed the President of France, François Mitterrand, who gifted Lanlard a pair of gold cufflinks.

Collaboration with the Roux Brothers

After leaving the navy, Lanlard was recruited by the Roux brothers, Albert and Michel, and moved to the United Kingdom in 1989. Within two years, he became their head pastry chef. In 1995, Lanlard decided to venture out on his own and opened his first business, Laboratoire 2000, which was later rebranded as Cake Boy in 2005. Lanlard maintains a close relationship with the Roux family and makes an annual pilgrimage to Michel Roux Jr.'s "Le Gavroche" in London.

Television Career and Achievements

Lanlard gained recognition for his appearances on various British TV channels before securing his own television series on Channel 4, titled "Glamour Puds" and "Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard." He has been twice named Continental Patissier of the Year at the British Baking Awards.

Aside from his television work, Lanlard has been involved in numerous high-profile projects, including creating a croquembouche for Madonna and Guy Ritchie's wedding, designing wedding cakes for Elizabeth Hurley and Claudia Schiffer, and crafting the first birthday cake for David Beckham's son, Brooklyn. He also created a cake for Queen Mother's 101st birthday, featuring two corgis wearing tiaras.

Current Endeavors

Lanlard is currently part of the "Food Heroes" team for P&O Cruises, overseeing signature afternoon teas across their entire fleet and conducting classes and recipe development. He is also a food ambassador for Marriott International, creating the concept of "Afternoon Tea" worldwide for their elite brands such as St Regis & Luxury Collection. His latest venture involves collaborating with Virgin Atlantic, where he developed the concept of afternoon tea for their airline lounges and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse airport lounges.

Personal Life

After moving to the UK, Lanlard resided in Putney but later relocated to Battersea in 2004. He has also signed up for a suborbital space flight with Virgin Galactic. Despite his profession, Lanlard claims not to have a sweet tooth and reveals that his weakness is cheese.

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