In conjunction with partner Ducasse Développement, Sommet Education, a leading worldwide network of prestigious higher education schools specializing in hotel management, customer experience, and the culinary and pastry arts, is creating the new École Ducasse – Paris Campus, an emblematic venue dedicated to teaching culinary and pastry arts.
An ultra-contemporary campus focused on culinary excellence, on transmission and on the promotion of a world-renowned gastronomic know-how.
École Ducasse – Paris Campus is a unique 5,000 sqm space dedicated to taste, located in Meudon-la-Forêt, 10km from the heart of Paris. Both the school building as well as its interior and exterior fittings were custom-designed by international agency Arte Charpentier Architectes (Oxygen Tower in Lyon, Shanghai Opera House, Véolia Environment Campus…), along with landlord Covivio. The interior design of the bar and the initiation restaurant was entrusted to Jouin Manku, an agency whose previous projects include the restaurant Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée.
The site includes nine laboratories dedicated to culinary arts as well as to pastrymaking, baking, chocolate and ice cream; seven classrooms for academic courses (Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, etc.); a sensory analysis room dedicated to food and wine pairings and the discovery of new flavors; a knowledge center; as well as several coworking areas. The kitchens will benefit from the fruit trees surrounding the school and aromatic plants grown in the vegetable garden.
The campus also has a store with a take-away sales area and an initiation restaurant open to the public.
This all amounts to a high-quality environment and experiential territory in which everything is done to facilitate work and develop gustatory sensations
As Chef Alain Ducasse emphasizes: “With the opening of the Paris Campus, we are pursuing an essential mission that I believe is one of the most beautiful in the world: preparing the next generation and training leaders. This mission consists of transmitting excellence, respect for produce and seasonality, as well as the ability to recover from difficult contexts, all driven by a strong focus on perpetual reinvention.”
The school offers a wealth of varied programs including:
- A three-year Bachelor’s degrees in Culinary Arts and French Pastry Arts aimed at post-baccalaureate students and training them to become well-rounded and entrepreneurial chefs. This year, the Bachelor’s degrees are endorsed by Jessica Préalpato, Pastry Chef, Alain Ducasse, Plaza Athénée, nominated 2019 “World’s Best Pastry Chef” on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list; and Romain Meder, Executive Chef, Alain Ducasse, Plaza Athénée.
- “Diploma” programs lasting several months and which enable students to specialize after completing their initial culinary or pastry course.
- “Essentials” programs, offering retraining opportunities for people wishing to change careers and become a chef.
- Training courses for professional chefs, including the participation of MOF and renowned chefs such as Christopher Coutanceau, Adrien Cachot, Chantal Wittmann (MOF) and Christophe Raoux (MOF).
Organized in small cohorts to ensure personalized transmission, programs are taught in French and English and last from two months to three years. All combine both academic and practical courses from managing an institution, to searching for new trends, to finding the exact touch required to achieve excellence. Themes covered touch on all areas of the culinary and pastry arts and echo new culinary trends, from Green Gastronomy to vegetable-based and Mediterranean cuisine, as well as tableware and the sommelier’s art.
“Chef Alain Ducasse’s philosophy infuses our educational vision and the way we approach culinary and pastry transmission on a daily basis. Our primary objective is to train extremely well-rounded chefs with a very contemporary culinary vision, unique expertise and interpersonal skills, combined with outstanding technical know-how and a strong entrepreneurial culture” explains Elise Masurel, Managing Director, École Ducasse.
Renowned teachers and mentors
Programs are all taught by top-level Chef trainers (MOF, world champions, renowned Chefs and Pastry Chefs, etc.). The opening of the Paris Campus follows the appointment of a world reference in the world of gastronomy, Jacques Maximin, as Culinary Advisor and Chef in Residence. Students will have the privilege of being associated with the exclusive Chef in Residence dinners. In addition to this distinguished expert, two talented professionals acknowledged by their peers have been appointed: Thomas Guichard as Head of Training and Production and Guillaume Katola as Head of Restaurants.
” This new place of educational excellence is a perfect fit with our international network of prestigious schools and illustrates the development strategy to which we are committed” says Benoît-Etienne Domenget, CEO Sommet Education.
Exclusive partnerships
“Moët Hennessy is very pleased to collaborate on this magnificent project with Ecole Ducasse, a long-standing partner with whom we share a pioneering spirit, the pursuit of excellence, and a mission to pass down our craft with a spirit of elegance and epicureanism”, commented Philippe Schaus, Chairman and CEO of Moët Hennessy.
The Master Blenders and Cellar Masters of our Maisons will train the students in the subtleties of food and wine pairings while sharing their expertise, enriched by our craftsmanship and three centuries of winemaking heritage.
In order to offer technical excellence and cutting-edge technology to the students, all laboratory equipment has been custom designed and installed by Electrolux Professional, a leading global provider of food service, beverage and laundry solutions for professional users, and a long-standing partner of Ducasse globally.
École Ducasse is a network of schools belonging to the Sommet Education, a major international education group for hospitality management and arts.
For more information: learn.ecole-ducasse.com