CHEF SIMON HERFRAY

Born in France, I began my education and immersion in the art of fine French pastry making in the Nantes area of France. After five years of classes, training and hands-on experience, I graduated with a Masters Degree in Pastry and Bakery.

Immediately after graduation, I left France to work in London and joined the culinary team at Aubaine, a renown French Restaurant-Bakery in South Kensington, a hub of prestigious world-class restaurants, hotels and museums with a significant French cultural presence. Many celebrities living in the neighborhood can be seen here, eating a croissant! After one year in London, I headed to Australia where I lived and worked in Brisbane, and later on in Sydney, to polish and diversify my skills with new techniques.

An offer to join the acclaimed Blue Bird Restaurant in London brought me back to the UK. The Blue Bird Restaurant is a fabulous addition to the Kings Road restaurant scene, and also located in South Kensington. In 2009, I came across the pond, and entered New York City's pastry scene as the new Executive French Pastry Chef of Falai LLC. During this time, I had the chance to play a role in several unique events with Restaurant Benoit, Le Cirque, Peter Luger Steakhouse and even made bread for a party hosted by Martha Stewart! Then I moved on to Café M, a cozy pastry and coffee shop by the Empire State Building in Manhattan. Soon after, I crossed the bridge to Downtown Brooklyn and continued to create unique and delicious desserts at sister restaurants, Bacchus and La Defense Bakery and Bistro.

In January 2014, I launched my own company, a culinary company focused on catering and teaching the fine art of French pastry making through classes and workshops. I am excited to share my talents and expertise in French pastry and dessert making with the New York City community through my classes and menus for weddings and private/corporate events.

SAVOIR FAIRE

As a trained French pastry chef, Simon likes to concoct exquisite desserts with a unique blend of flavors and textures. Creating a new pastry is always a challenge, but the excitement of presenting it for the first time to food-lovers, family, and friends is the driving force. He is most passionate about sharing his knowledge and expertise with everyone he meets.

OUR KITCHEN

Located in the heart of East Village, Atelier Sucré's commercial kitchen offers a space to create delightful, delectable sweets. We welcome students of all experience-levels and provide all the equipment and tools needed. A kitchen is a special place for chefs; it's where the magic happens.

OUR INGREDIENTS

The best food comes from the freshest ingredients, and pastry chefs are tasked with transforming these ingredients into something so wonderful.

New York state has an incredibly diverse array of foods. Simon enjoys working with local produce, and also uses exclusive ingredients from France and international locales around the world.

REVIEWS

"Chef Simon has catered delicacies for many of our events. We know we can count on him for his reliability and tasty pastries." — Jeremie Sautter, French American Chamber of Commerce (New York)

"Simon was phenomenal to work with. I brought a group of NYC-based bartenders to his kitchen for a private session making St. Germain bonbons, chocolates, and macarons. His space was very clean and well-designed. Simon and his staff provided great instruction to a class full of individuals at different skill levels. It was also very apparent that Simon is extremely knowledgable and passionate about his craft. I absolutely plan on visiting Atelier Sucré again!" — Marlo Gamora, Brand Specialist, St. Germain

"I have personally been working with Simon for over a year now and he has provided us with some of the most delicious macarons and chocolate bonbons for all three of our showrooms in New York City. As a recognized French luxury brand, it is important for us to have French products that match our client's sensibilities. Not only was Atelier Sucré a perfect fit, Simon exceeded our expectations by far. We will definitely work with him for our future special events and will keep enjoying his creations daily." — Sandro Mardkha, Showroom Manager, Roche Bobois

"Being in the high-end hospitality and residential food business, I searched long and hard for a pastry chef with whom I felt comfortable working with. I had the privilege of tasting Simon’s pastries at different events (galas at the French consulate, Vieilles Charrues concert at Central Park), and it always amazed me to see the reaction of people tasting his unbelievable chocolate cake or his passion fruit macaron. His delicacies are very reasonably priced, his service is impeccable, his deliveries are on time, and his on-site classes are fabulous." —Sophie Raubiet, Retail Director, Bernardaud