Jesús Escalera, founder of the dessert-only restaurant La Postreria in Guadalajara (Mexico), has been capturing the attention of international critics with his original sweet creations. At 32, the Spanish chef is working on a successful career that now culminates with the title of Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by República del Cacao.

He became a pastry chef almost by accident. Born in Utrera, a city near Seville in the south of Spain, he landed a stage at 19 at Hacienda Benazuza, an emblematic five-star hotel in which Ferran Adrià was initially interested in as a consultant from 1998 and eventually helping to develop two new restaurants at the property.

The Postreria, which opened in 2013, is the first solo project that Escalera promoted with his wife and Mexican chef Fernanda Covarrubias, with the intention to challenge the limits of traditional pastry and reinvent desserts by playing with different textures and temperatures, incorporating bitter, smoked, and savory flavors, and recreating natural elements.

Jesus has recently founded La Postreria Taller, a space where he teaches courses and master classes for the public, in addition to inviting other professionals to share their knowledge. Moreover, he also works as a consultant to help traditional restaurants, hotels, and bakeries to develop their dessert offer.