Fresh
The Food Network is awash with cooking- and baking-competition shows, but The Kings of Pastry operates on a much higher level.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
Kings of Pastry
16 Chefs, 3 Days, 1 Chance
2009 · 1h 27m · N/A
Documentary
Directed by
Chris Hegedus
,
D. A. Pennebaker
Overview
The collar awarded to the winners of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France) is more than the ultimate recognition for every pastry chef - it is a dream and an obsession. The 3-day competition includes everything from delicate chocolates to precarious six foot sugar sculptures and requires that the chefs have extraordinary skill, nerves of steel and luck. The film follows Jacquy Pfeiffer, founder of The French Pastry School in Chicago, as he returns to France to compete against 15 of France's leading pastry chefs. The filmmakers were given first time/exclusive access to this high-stakes drama of passion, sacrifice, disappointment and joy in the quest to have President Sarkozy declare them one of the best in France.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
86%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Documentary peeking into a high-stakes French competition will fascinate foodies.
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter
Fresh
The documentary proves almost as sweet as its subject.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Fresh
What makes Kings of Pastry more than a sugar-coated showcase of culinary porn is its emphasis on the individual human dramas that exist behind all of these delicacies.
Jason Anderson, Toronto Star
Fresh
As satisfying as, er, pain au chocolat.
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post
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