Dominique Ansel, or Chef Dominique as he is known, is the chef and owner of the eponymous Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York, which he opened in 2011. It has a list of accolades as long as your apron strings, which include Time Out New York's Best New Bakery of 2012 and Metromix’s Best Bakery of 2012, both of which it got within four months of opening its doors.
Now famous as a culinary inventor of sorts, Ansel has dreamt up many a sweet treat, including, most famously, the Cronut (which is what happens when you cross a croissant and a doughnut). In 2013 he was named one of Business Insider’s Most Innovative People under 40 and, a year later, he won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef of the nation, which prompted the Daily Mail to call him "the most feted pastry chef in the world". And that’s not even the icing on the cake – for that is reserved for his London bakery opening, which he says will happen “later this summer… but give us some buffer in case of delays. We’ll get there, we promise.” It's a promise that has the nation gripped, and there’s one question on everybody’s lips – where in London?
"I believe we've found somewhere
that’s perfect. But it’s all still in
the works at the moment.
Fingers crossed!”
In a manner not dissimilar to Willy Wonka (to whom he has long been compared, thanks to his numerous delicious inventions, or creations, as he calls them), Ansel likes to be a bit enigmatic and keep everybody guessing.
What he will say, is that we're going to be seeing a lot more of him. "I’ve visited four times in the last year alone, and once since it turned 2016, and I’ll be coming back on a regular basis."
It’s a move he’s taking very seriously, and says that “getting it absolutely right” is at the top of his agenda. But this should come as no surprise – you don’t become one of the world’s most famous pastry chefs by doing anything by halves. And he won’t be alone on his London adventure. “Much of the New York team and also some of our team in Japan will be spending time in the London kitchen too. We don’t plan to just pop by for a visit or two; we want to be there and to really be a part of the team.”
Ansel admits that he runs a tight ship, but says that none of it would work if everyone didn't get along and work well together – "It’s really one big family."
But why has the family decided to set up in the UK, and why now? He says that it has always been a dream of his. “Growing up in France, London was always right next door, but I never had enough money to visit until I was much older.”
The lure of London
He adds: “What attracted me the most is the blend of so many cultures. It’s truly one of the most eclectic cities I’ve seen; there’s not just every culture throughout Europe, but around the world. There’s also an open-mindedness in accepting different cuisines and understanding them.”
He seems genuinely thrilled by the prospect of setting up here, and says that he thinks he’ll learn a lot from us and our baking techniques. “I’m excited not only to share some of what we do with London, but also to meet everyone and to learn a great deal along the way.”
That being the case, which of our British classic dishes would Ansel say appeals to him the most? The answer comes without any hesitation: “Summer pudding. This past year, I tried it for the first time. It’s such a perfect example of how a few great ingredients can make a great dessert. Ripe, gorgeous berries and a dash of cream – it’s the most basic but simple understanding of a great dessert.”
Keep it simple
This idea of keeping things simple is something that Ansel likes to carry through into all his work, and what he says has led him to invent so many new and wonderful pastries. Pleasingly, he says there are plenty more in the pipeline. "We're always working on creating new things and developing new ideas. We change quite a large portion of our menu every six to eight weeks, and, for us, it’s about keeping it simple but always looking forward, and always creating."
Next on the agenda is a new menu for Unlimited Possibilities, his after-hours tasting table in the New York shop. “It’s an eight-course tasting of desserts complete with cocktail pairings, and the menu changes twice a year, so we're making the final touches on that at the moment." But what for us? "Of course,” he laughs, “we have some special things created just for you in London.”
Reassured, I ask if he’ll be replicating the after-hours concept in London, but Ansel remains tight-lipped – whatever he’s planning, he’s keeping it firmly under his toque. What he will say is that the sense of community that is such a large part of the New York operation, is something he’s keen to bring with him, as it was instilled in him from a young age. “I grew up in a very poor part of France, and having enough to eat was a daily struggle for my family, so we [The New York bakery] first started by helping to fight hunger, which is a cause close to my heart.”
The bakery once raised $14,000 by auctioning off 12 Cronuts, and in Tokyo, where he set up shop last year, Ansel recently taught a cooking class for children with Down’s Syndrome. “I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do in London to give back.”Ansel grew up near Paris and, having worked his way up the restaurant business in France from seasonal staff to leading international expansions and setting up franchises around the world, he then became a pastry chef and worked in a French restaurant in New York – he was a chef’s apprentice for two years, and then a baker’s apprentice for one. “Then I did my military service; it was wonderful. I was in charge of training a French Guiana kitchen. A lot of the food was canned or vacuum-sealed – not very tasty or fancy – but it gave me a chance to use local ingredients.”
Texture, temperature and emotion
It is the way that food can make you feel that Ansel favours above all else. Or as he puts it: "For me, food is all about texture, temperature and emotion. I remember as a child eating baguettes that were still hot from the oven, and tasting the nuttiness of the crust. It had this crunch, but it was still steaming and tender inside. When somebody eats my DKA [his interpretation of the ultra-buttery kouign-amann], I hope they feel the same."
Practising what he preaches, he starts each day off with a DKA (which stands for Dominique's Kouign Amann) and at least one cup of coffee. And as someone who is an inspiration to bakers around the world, I ask what advice he has for others wanting to emulate his success. “Inspiration can come from anywhere, but when you get a big idea, don’t stop there. Continue to push yourself forward. I always say, don’t let the creation kill the creativity.”
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