HAVING WORKED FOR MAISON LENÔTRE ON THE CÔTE D'AZUR AND HUGO & VICTOR IN PARIS, AMAURY GUICHON LEFT FRANCE FOR THE UNITED STATES IN 2013. THREE YEARS LATER, HE BEGAN SHARING HIS CREATIONS ON SOCIAL NETWORKS. THROUGH SHORT, DYNAMIC VIDEOS, HE TAKES VIEWERS ON A JOURNEY THROUGH THE DESIGN OF ATYPICAL PIECES, SUCH AS A GIRAFFE OVER 2 METERS TALL OR A HANDBAG THAT'S LARGER THAN LIFE. TODAY, HIS VARIOUS ACCOUNTS (INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TIKTOK) TOTAL OVER 75 MILLION FOLLOWERS.
By Mégane Fleury - photos © Amaury Guichon
Amaury Guichon: "This was one of my greatest experiences. When I was younger, at the C.F.A., I was with people who didn't want to be there. On this show, I found myself alongside competitors who had the same passion. I also met Christophe Michalak, a member of the show's judging panel. At the time, he was bringing some edge to the business, all while getting it more media coverage. He's a role model for me."
What do you mean by that?
AG: "He changed pastry-making. In the history of the profession, there's Auguste Escoffier, Gaston Lenôtre, Pierre Hermé and then Christophe Michalak. On a personal level, I owe him a lot. During the program, I asked him if he had any contacts in the United States, as I was already planning to make my way over there. He said 'show me your level on the show', and then I never heard from him again. Months later, he gave me a contact in Las Vegas. I owe him everything for this, he gave a chance to a young man he hardly knew. I really have a lot of respect and admiration for him."
Why did you decide to move to the United States?
AG: "I wanted to learn English and gain some international experience. At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to stay. Then, when I was there, I discovered that Americans had a real admiration and respect for craftsmanship. In France, at that time, our professions were still undervalued. Here, people thought it was great to be a pastry chef, there was no stigma. Then new opportunities arose."
What made you decide to get involved in social networking?
AG: "When I realized that people were interested in patisserie, I wanted to shine a light on craftsmanship and know-how. It wasn’t about showing my personality, in fact, in the early videos you can only see my hands and the product, not my face."
Do you have a crew to help you shoot and edit?
AG: "No. For the past eight years, I've been making these videos on my own. Like many craftsmen, I'm able to distinguish a job well done, which helps me in my work. Every weekend, I edit the videos. That's why I don't take vacations: all year round, I work on my content."
AG: "I was able to create a hybrid role for myself. They enable me to promote my brand and highlight French know-how. At the same time, most of my time is devoted to handling materials, which is what drives me in this business. Whereas in the profession, becoming a chef gives you more responsibilities, and working on the product often becomes secondary. The idea of having to spend less time creating, transforming the raw material, that made me quite sad."
In your opinion, are social networks essential for today's craftsmen and women, whether they’re pastry chefs, bakers, chocolatiers or ice-cream makers?
AG: "We absolutely could do without it! It can help get messages across to as many people as possible, in an inexpensive way, but it's not essential."
All platforms combined, 75 million people follow you on social networks today. How do you manage this notoriety?
AG: "I’ve experienced this first-hand. At a certain point, it felt good to have this recognition because I had an inferiority complex. It sort of filled the gap, but then I moved on to something else. Sometimes people recognize me, and I blush almost faster than they do. Other times, I'm so immersed in my work environment and daily routine that I forget this notoriety."
Was the creation of your school a way of making things more concrete?
AG: "I'm not an Instagram chef. Social networks are just a vector for me. They enabled me to share things when I was at work, and then to communicate about the training courses I was doing. In fact, seven or eight years ago, I was invited to teach a course in Russia. I was very flattered, because normally it's World Champions and M.O.F.s who teach these types of courses. I accepted, then posted a few videos on my social channels, and other schools contacted me. I was still working as a pastry chef in a hotel-casino at the time, and ended up resigning to devote 100% of my time to the courses. Then, one day, I met Michel Ernots, who became my partner, and we opened the school in Las Vegas. This allows me to put together my own courses, with more depth, and to offer other subjects like viennoiserie, which I'm passionate about, for example."
You have your own social network accounts, The Pastry Academy, a series with Netflix and a TV show in Australia: how do you organize your time?
AG: "Apart from when I'm shooting for TV or Netflix, I'm at the school every day. Over the course of a year, I need to spend 90% of my time there, and I still teach occasional lessons. It's important for me to spend time with the students. To get everything done, I plan ahead and shoot videos in advance. On a day-to-day basis, all this requires a lot of sacrifice. I also do a lot of exercise and eat a very balanced diet to stay in good physical shape."
What are your plans for the coming years?
AG: "At the end of the year, we'll be releasing a digital version of the Academy. This will enable people from all over the world to access our courses, and at competitive prices. For the longer term, I'd like to continue promoting the profession. I obviously have financial goals. I come from a modest background and I've always been afraid of failure, so achieving these goals will mean I won't have to worry about money. I'll always be a pastry chef, but I'd also like to free up more time in the future for personal projects."
Your creations are seen by millions of people, but very few get to taste them. Are you planning to open a store?
AG: "I don't know. This is something I'm often asked about. But it’s a totally different thought process. I really appreciate the fact that I can devote myself to just one product a day, and not thousands. Then, I need to control things. If I'm still editing my videos eight years later, it's because I find it hard to delegate. Having a store would require a lot of effort in this area.”