Meet Oriol Balaguer
Pastry Chef
Nominated Best Pastry Chef in Spain in 1992, at just 21 years of age (an award he received for a second time 2008) and awarded the title of Best Dessert in the World in 2001, Oriol Balaguer has this year won the Best Artisan Butter Croissant in Spain award.
- Portrait
- Oriol Balaguer was born in 1971. He was inspired by the artistic chocolate creations of his pastry chef father and, from a very early age, was convinced that becoming a world renowned chocolate and pastry chef was his vocation. This Spanish Chef is a perfectionist and has the reputation of being a culinary architect. Nominated Best Pastry Chef in Spain in 1992, at just 21 years of age (an award he received for a second time 2008) and awarded the title of Best Dessert in the World in 2001, Oriol Balaguer has this year won the Best Artisan Butter Croissant in Spain award.
Oriol Balaguer studied at the EPGB pastry school in Barcelona for five years. After attending Confectionary Trade School and working in the best pastry boutiques in Spain and Belgium, he was hired to work with world-renowned chef and culinary genius, Ferran Adrià, who defined him as “one of the most well-rounded professionals in the world of gastronomy”.
He has received numerous awards throughout his career. Amongst the key ones are: Best Artisan Butter Croissant in Spain 2014 - Best Pastry Chef in Spain 2008 - Best Gastronomy Shop in Madrid 2008 - Award for Professional of the Year 2006 - Best Gastronomy Website in Spain 2005 - Best Pastry Chef in Catalonia 2003 - Best Dessert in the World 2001 - Best Book in the World 2000 - Best Spanish Restaurant Pastry Chef 1997 - Best Dessert in Spain 1997 - M.M.A.P.E. 93 Best Spanish Handmade Pastry Master 1993.
Q&A with this talented chef - 1. You won the Best Artisan Butter Croissant in Spain prize a few months ago, what does this mean to you?
- I was honoured to receive this award as croissants, brioches and pastry dough represent the basics of this profession. I am very passionate about dough and everything to do with fermentation and I was therefore overjoyed to receive this award.
- 2. What are the secrets to making a perfect butter croissant?
- The most important thing, of course, is taste…then comes the visual impact, it should be flaky and the texture reminiscent of a honeycomb shape. It should be light and crunchy with a balanced butter flavour.
- 3. Why do you use Elle & Vire Professionnel products?
- For their quality, we always try to use the best possible raw materials to make our recipes and, in my opinion, Elle & Vire products are of excellent quality. The butter is just perfect in terms of taste, texture and plasticity. Excellence is achieved through quality and rigor and that is why I choose Elle & Vire products.
- 4. Could you tell us about your favourite childhood dessert?
- It would have to be bread with olive oil and chocolate because my mother gave this to us every day after school and it really reminds me of childhood.
http://www.oriolbalaguer.com