PATRICE DEMERS
Patrice Pâtissier
Demers, 37, is well known to Montreal foodies, having worked for close to two decades at many top restaurants while writing three cookbooks — Les desserts de Patrice, La carte des desserts and Patrice Demers: chef pâtissier aux restaurants Les Chèvres et Le Chou (Les Éditions de l’Homme, 2012, 2009 and 2005) — as well as hosting the TV show Les desserts de Patrice. Demers also gives classes at his pastry shop/café/restaurant, which he owns with his wife, sommelier Marie-Josée Beaudoin. A true perfectionist known for his soigné plate presentations and fascinating flavour combinations, Demers also works with the prestigious Valrhona chocolate company, giving professional seminars in Canada and the U.S.
Experience: Demers started his cooking career as a savoury chef after attending the pastry and cooking programs at École hôtelière de Laval. His first post was in the kitchen of Chez L’Épicier, where he soon moved to the pastry department. Demers began creating his wonderful desserts à l’assiette next at La Gaudriole, Leméac, Les Chèvres, Laloux, Newtown and Les 400 Coups restaurants. He opened Patrice Pâtissier in 2014.
Philosophy: When Demers opened his boutique, it came as a bit of a surprise, since he was well known as a restaurant chef.
“I never worked with another pastry chef or in a pastry shop, so I had to learn to do it my way,” says Demers, “which meant that at first we made a lot of mistakes. I was never a fan of frozen cakes with buttercream and heavy glazes. I always wanted to work like I did in restaurants, where everything is made to order. Some items like brownies can last more than a day, but other pastries, like the raspberry tart, are made daily or even twice a day. The cream puffs are made to order. We have only six choices of pastries at a time and very few cakes. Some days we make one tart, one cake. At the beginning, people were looking for more choice. Some were leaving angry. But now the clients know you have to order in advance and are more open to trying new flavours — as long as the end result is good. On a good Saturday, we can sell 1,000 portions of dessert, but we are always working to maintain or improve the level of quality.”
As for future projects, Demers says: “I’m too much of a perfectionist to even consider opening a second store for now.”
Influences: William Werner of Craftsman and Wolves in San Francisco, Kevin Lacote of KL Pâtisserie in Paris, and Stéphanie Labelle, who made desserts for his wedding.
Bestsellers: Choux pastries, fruit tarts, kouign-amann and his plated desserts available on site.
2360 Notre-Dame St. W.; 514-439-5434; patricepatissier.ca. Instagram: @patrice_demers