Candia Professional

François Galtier is a passionate pastry chef. Always seeking perfection, François continuously looks for new flavors, textures, and designs. From a single piece of chocolate, he can create true masterpieces.

Trained in the three culinary arts—cooking, baking, and pastry—his greatest passion lies in pastry.

François has traveled extensively throughout France to learn and draw inspiration from a variety of culinary techniques. Since receiving the bronze medal at the Pastry World Cup, he has coached many chefs worldwide.

Currently, he runs his own chocolatier business, “KKO Belgique,” where he has the freedom to unleash his imagination. He also serves as Ambassador Chef at Candia Professional, where he has been contributing his expertise and insight for several years. Through numerous demonstrations and masterclasses around the world, François shares his passion and knowledge, helping to inspire the next generation of pastry chefs.

Allen Chen began his pastry career in 2005 in Taipei. He worked in several luxury hotels before moving to France in 2012 to deepen his knowledge. Not speaking French, he initially faced difficulties but eventually enrolled in the ENSP school to obtain his CAP (Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle). He then completed internships, notably with Yann Brys, the best artisan in France, who became his mentor. Allen worked at Dalloyau Paris for two years and then at the Mandarin Oriental Paris, where he served as sous-chef. In 2019, he returned to Taiwan to take over the three family shops. In 2024, he opened his own French pastry shop, Brillante, which is renowned for its excellence in pastry making and for the numerous awards he has won in prestigious competitions. Through his shop, Allen blends the flavors of Taiwan and Paris, providing his clients with a unique taste experience through his sweet creations.

We are proud to count Chef Allen Chen as a Candia Professional Ambassador

Chef Baptiste Villefranque is a renowned pastry chef. He started his career in pastry making in 2008 as part of the famous French Artisans Organisation called “Compagnons du Devoir,” where he worked for six years. After that, he assisted the renowned chef Alain Ducasse for one year at Yssingeaux ENSP.

Baptiste has developed a unique style of desserts that is trendy and inspiring, which he demonstrated while serving on the jury for the Russian Pastry World Cup Selection. He has also worked as the executive pastry chef at W, a luxury hotel in the Marriott Group, and the Peninsula Hotel, both in Hong Kong.

Currently, he lives in Hong Kong, where he serves as the executive pastry chef and creates innovative, authentic, and exquisite dessert creations. His work represents a perfect blend of Asian and French cuisines, showcasing his exceptional creativity and mastery in combining these two culinary worlds.

We are proud to count Chef Baptiste Villefranque as a Candia Professional Ambassador.

With training from FERRANDI Paris and Le Cordon Bleu, Haseon Lim has honed her skills at renowned establishments, including Michelin 3-star L’assiette Champenoise.

Notably, she has coached the Korean team at the Bocuse d’Or and promotes Korean culture as a guest chef in Paris, emphasizing a pastry philosophy that transforms ingredients into sophisticated works of art.

Today, her bakery is preparing for its first international expansion in New Jersey !

We are proud to count Chef Haseon Lim as a Candia Professional Ambassador Chef.

Steve Thiery, a passionate pastry chef born in Lorraine and trained in Nancy, has blended his love for pastry and travel throughout his career. At just 21, he became Head Pastry Chef at the InterContinental Tahiti in French Polynesia, later crafting macarons at Jean-Luc Pelé in Cannes. His journey continued at Ladurée, where he created extravagant wedding cakes. In 2018, he joined Maison Pierre Hermé at La Mamounia Marrakech, merging Moroccan inspirations with French pastry excellence. After opening the first Pierre Hermé boutique in Saudi Arabia at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Steve now serves as the Executive Pastry Chef at Marsa Al Arab in Dubai, overseeing the pastry vision across ten restaurants and driving contemporary pastry innovation.

We are proud to count Chef Steve Thiery as a Candia Professional Ambassador.

Chef Wei Loon Tan is a highly acclaimed Malaysian pastry chef, recognized both in Asia and globally for his technical skill and creativity. His career began at the Palace of Golden Horses, then the Renaissance Hotel Kuala Lumpur, and now currently, he serves as the Director of Pastry Studies at the Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia (APCA) since August 2010. Additionally, he runs his own pastry shop, Enchanté, which he established in 2019 with a focus on quality over quantity, introducing the finest desserts to the market.

Wei Loon Tan is highly skilled in modern French pastry, sugar art, airbrush techniques, chocolate displays, and praline making. He has represented Malaysia in numerous international pastry competitions, and he coached the national team in 2017 during the same competition in Lyon.

We are proud to count Chef Wei Loon Tan as a Candia Professional Ambassador

For 14 years, Yann Ledoux worked alongside the legendary baker Eric Kayser. Yann’s expertise in traditional French baking methods propelled him to oversee various Maison Kayser locations, including a pivotal role in Dubai, where he innovated recipes for a new market.

In 2021, Yann Ledoux launched his own bakery, Bread Story, in Manhattan. Celebrated in the baking community, his creations are featured in renowned New York restaurants like Le Bernardin and L’Abeille.

Today, his exceptional breads and pastries continue to impress locals and chefs alike, reinforcing his status in America’s culinary landscape.

We are proud to count Chef Yann Ledoux as a Candia Professional Ambassador.

Michael Bartocetti, a virtuoso chef at the George V, is a star of French pastry and a true embodiment of French excellence. Immersed in the world of gastronomy from a very young age—his father was a professional chef—he inherited a deep-seated passion for the culinary arts. It was his encounters with his parents’ friends, who were pastry chefs, that truly sparked his own calling. His ascent began shortly thereafter, when he joined the Fischer patisserie—a renowned establishment in his native Lorraine. The grandson of farmers, he is a passionate advocate for local terroir and traditional French craftsmanship, both of which he highlights through his creations. A recipient of the *Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres* distinction, he now serves as Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons in Paris, where he succeeded chef Maxime Frédéric.

We are prout to count Chef Michael Bartocetti as a Candia Professional Ambassador Chef

Ester Roelas is a pastry chef whose passion for gastronomy began at an early age. After ten years working as a cook, she discovered her love for pastry while managing the dessert station in a restaurant, inspiring her to specialize in pastry arts in 2012.

Since then, she has worked as a pastry chef, instructor, and head pastry chef, while also developing her online pastry school, where she shares her expertise through books, masterclasses, and online courses. In 2020, she opened her own pastry workshop in Badalona, a creative space dedicated to filming courses, hosting workshops, consulting for businesses, and creating brand content.

Blending professional expertise with an accessible teaching approach, Ester creates courses for both passionate home bakers and pastry professionals, sharing the values that define her work: craftsmanship, respect for quality ingredients, humility, and above all, passion.

Stefan Rose has been a part of the team at Yorkshire’s most Exclusive Luxury Hotel Grantley Hall since 2019, creating the sweet offerings across the multiple restaurants of the Hotel and helping to build its global reputation as a world class Hotel.

Training at some of the finest Michelin Star Kitchens, 5 Stars Hotels and Bakeries in the UK, as well as featuring twice on the Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals, Stefan’s passion for the finest ingredients combined with the latest modern techniques and classical French Patisserie, can be best seen at Grantley Hall’s Signature Afternoon Tea Offering in the Elegant Drawing Room.