The École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie (ENSP), which is part of the École Ducasse network of schools, celebrated its 40th anniversary on June 24 at its campus in Yssingeaux in the Haute-Loire region in south-central France.

The day began with speeches by Alain Ducasse, founder of École Ducasse; Luc Debove, director of the ENSP; Elise Masurel, general director of École Ducasse, and Evelyne Bayet, deputy mayor of Yssingeaux. Attendees had the opportunity to take a guided tour of the spectacular facilities that were expanded in 2023 due to the high demand for pastry training.

One of the highlights was the holding of a round table on the topic, “What about 40 years from now? Challenges and prospects for pastry arts.” Moderated by David Ordono, it gathered renowned experts, including the three-star chef Alain Ducasse, Luc Debove, as well as Claire Damon, the committed chef and winner of the 2024 Ethical and Environmental Responsibility Pastry Award, Fanny Le Duff, training chef at ENSP, and student Emiri Tsushima, currently working with Anne-Sophie Pic.

The speakers highlighted the importance of offering a sustainable pastry that respects the environment and health. They also talked about the talent shortage in the sector and the necessary changes in management and training for chefs to develop skills beyond purely technical aspects. Finally, they discussed the need to prepare future professionals to master technological advances and innovate in the profession.