Established in 1983, Paris Gourmet is the New York tristate area’s leading specialty food service importer and distributor. We source the finest products from around the world and make them available across the country through a network of independent distributors. 

Our staff of chef technicians conduct extensive research and development of products in pursuit of quality and innovation. They also provide multiple opportunities for continuing education, training, and support within the industry.

Paris Gourmet is located in New Jersey’s Meadowlands, 8 miles from New York’s Times Square.

Please see inportant information regarding the 2015 edition of the United States Pastry Competition below.

The 2015 theme of the U.S. Pastry Competition is Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend: Ladies' Luxuries.  As our finalists seek inspiration for their magnificant creations, we will look at some of the world's great designers and learn a little about the inspirations for their great works.

VERSACE:  INNOVATION LIVES FOREVER

What do Madonna, Demi Moore, Britney Spears, Halle Berry, Kate Moss, and Gisele Bundchen all have in common (besides being beautiful, wealthy celebrities)?  Each of these famous women has been appointed by Versace to endorse its luxurious brand.  One of the world’s leading fashion houses, the Italian design house was founded in 1978 by Gianni Versace and is known for its clothing, accessories, and cosmetics as well as luxe home furnishings.  Although the Versace family are from Reggio Calabria, a mountainous region in located at the “toe” of the Italian peninsula, the first Versace shop was opened on Milan’s Via della Spiga, one of the city’s most upscale and prestigious shopping streets, after Gianni completed an apprenticeship at his mother’s dressmaking business followed by working as a freelance designer for some top fashion houses of the time.

Versace’s first shop in Milan was instantly popular and eventually grew into a business with several lines making up the brand: Atelier Versace, Versace Couture, Versace Sports, Versace Home Collection, Versace Jeans Couture, Versace Collection, Young Versace, and Versus.  Versace Couture, the house’s main line, is extremely high-end.  Comprised of apparel that is often handmade, this is typically the only Versace line that is shown on the runway.  The company also operates a 5-star hotel, the Palazzo Versace, located on Australia’s Gold Coast, with another hotel scheduled to open in Dubai at the end of 2014.   

Gianni’s bold designs consistently challenged the boundaries of the fashion industry and earned him a reputation as a creative genius.  The vibrant prints, distinctive cuts, and unconventional materials he used joined contemporary culture and high art brilliantly.  Versace won the Cutty Sark and Golden Eye (L’Occhio d’Oro) awards in 1982 for this Fall/Winter women’s collection, in which he debuted his famous chain-mail dress.  

Versace’s passion for the performing and visual arts spanned and enhanced his career.  He began working for the Teatro della Scala in 1982, designing spectacular costumes for productions that were featured in stage events worldwide.  His ardent patronage of the arts solidified him an esteemed member of the international artistic community.  

Gianni Versace was killed on July 15, 1997 in Miami, Florida by Andrew Cunanan.  Since then, the Versace family has retained control of the house of Versace in true Italian fashion.  His sister Donatella, formerly vice-president, stepped in as creative director.  Gianni’s older brother Santo Versace became the CEO, and Donatella’s daughter Allegra has owned 50 percent of the entire company since 2004 as bequeathed in Gianni’s will.  She has the final decision about many important details regarding the Versace clothing line.  

Allegra and Donatella Versace

While he was only 50 years old when he died, it is clear that Gianni Versace left a lasting impact on the fashion world.  He was named “the most innovative and creative designer in the world” by the Cutty Sark Award jury in 1988, and in 1993 he received the American Fashion Oscar from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.  He was honored by Italian and French presidents for his work, and the design house he founded remains highly respected and pioneering today.  

The sugar centerpiece of Cher Harris, U.S. finalist and winner of the Queen of Pastry competition held at SIGEP in Rimini, Itlay last month.  Cher is a finalist in the 2014 U.S. Pastry Competition at the Javits Center in New York City on Sunday March 2.  Cher is the executive pastry chef at The Hershey Hotel in Hershey, PA.  Her piece is featured on the back cover of Le Journal du Patissier.  

A Dozen Chefs to Create Exquisite Showpieces Based on the theme of Film Animation

Twelve rising stars, listed below, of the pastry world have been selected to compete for the coveted title of Pastry Chef of the Year. The theme of this year’s Paris Gourmet’s U.S. Pastry Competition is Film Animation.This exciting event will take place at the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York on March 2 from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, with the awards ceremony at 4:00 pm. All attendees of the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York are invited to see the illustrious showpieces created by America's leading pastry chefs.   Attendees will be dazzled by the exquisite showpieces by the following finalists:

Bruno Feldeisen, Four Seasons Hotel – Vancouver, BC

Kivanc Kaymak, FontaineBleu – Miami, FL

Eric Kalaboke, St. Regis - New York, NY

Pedro Gomez, Calihan Catering – Chicago, IL

Monica Ng, Sirio Ristorante - New York, NY

Arlety Estevez, L’Auberge Casino & Hotel - Baton Rouge, LA

Ruwan Kamburapolage, The Hurricane  - New York, NY

Pierre Poulin, Aureole - New York, NY

Yoshikazu Kizu, The Ritz Carlton - Orlando, FL

Cher Harris, The Hotel Hershey - Hershey, PA

Joseph Cumm, The Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts

Kimberly Schielke, The Pluckemin Inn - Bedminster, NJ

Board members of the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique, one of the oldest and most prestigious chef associations in the world, will preside over the judging procedures. Contest awards will total over $10,000.00. The showpieces will remain on view for the duration of the Show.

About the NY Restaurant Show

The 21^st International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York will bring together thousands of foodservice, restaurant and hospitality professionals from New York State,  and will feature more than 500 leading vendors, accompanying the Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum education sessions and buzz building special events. This is the only event in New York exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice industry, sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) and produced by Urban Expositions. The show will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, Sunday, March 2, 2014 through Tuesday, March 4. To learn more, visit http://www.internationalrestaurantny.com.

U.S. Pastry Competition - Pastry Chef of the Year

 UPDATE:  November 7, 2013

Getting Closer ! ! !  The jury is being recruited now - - here are some members to name a few:

• Florian Bellanger
• Susan Notter
• Johnny Iuzini
• Bill Foltz (past U.S. Pastry Chef of the Year)
• Richard Capizzi (past U.S. Pastry Chef of the Year)