Tal Spiegel - @tal.spiegel and @desserted_in_paris

“The perspectives of the pastry chef (textures, aromas, season, fashion) and the graphic designer (colour, construction, balance, structure) are both immensely important for me to consider during the creation of my desserts. As a designer, I know that we eat with our eyes first, and as a confectioner, the taste is of equal importance to appearance.”

Living in Paris, originally from Tel Aviv, the 37-year-old Tal Spiegel has not travelled the traditional path to becoming a pastry chef, however, this is what sets him apart from the rest. Tal started out as a graphic designer and worked as an art director, subsequent to graduating from one of Israel’s most prestigious design schools. He first gained online prominence through sharing his graphic designs on a personal platform, and later launched “Desserted in Paris” on Instagram, featuring magnificent desserts, colour matched to his shoes. As of today, the account has a total of 300k followers. Alongside graphic design, confectionary has always been the main passion of Tal’s, which is why he decided to enrol in a pastry program at Ferrandi Paris, one of France’s most renowned culinary institutions. He began his career as a pastry chef working alongside fantastic figures such as Gerard Mulot, famed for his traditional creations, and the innovative Boulangerie Utopie confectionaries. Tal has worked with the world’s best pastry chefs, formulates desserts and holds masterclasses for a variety of brands, and arranges pop-up events. In 2017, he published his first book titled “Desserted in Paris” and is currently working on his second one. For his desserts he incorporates the design expertise that he has acquired over the years, recognising the importance of aesthetic values, as well as taste.

“During my masterclass, I will demonstrate how to make some desserts that were inspired by the combination of my Israeli roots and skills mastered in France. I love combining flavours from my culinary past with ones I recently discovered. My course is centred around learning how to balance flavour combinations with aesthetics.”