Nina Métayer

Paris

Marrying picture-perfect French fare with cutting-edge technology

Born and raised in the west of France, Nina Métayer grew up with an itch to travel the world. After spending a year in Mexico at 16 as part of a student exchange programme, her destiny was set. Upon her return home, she dreamt daily of seeing the world and soon identified gastronomy as the vehicle for her travels.

After achieving a high school diploma in literature, Métayer then trained as a baker in her home town, before packing her bags for Melbourne, Australia, where she continued to hone her craft and began to shape her vision of spreading the edible joy of France to the rest of the world. In 2010, she headed to the French capital to expand her horizons to the world of pastry, studying at the renowned Ferrandi School.

After graduating, Métayer progressed through the kitchens of local gastronomic heavyweights, including chefs Yannick Alléno and Jean-François Piège. In 2019, after years at the helm of restaurants’ pastry sections, she made the jump to found her first solo venture, Délicatisserie: an online patisserie that delivers the greatest hits of French confectionery and viennoiserie, from seasonal fraisier à partager (strawberry pastry cake) to prototypical glossy chocolate tarts. Since then, she has also opened two physical Délicatisserie pastry shops in Paris to complement her delivery and consultancy services.

But one does not become The World’s Best Pastry Chef by simply sticking to the script. While French pastry creation is often heavily bound by tradition, Métayer has been unafraid to adopt modern techniques to elevate and evolve classic sweet treats. The chef’s visionary work is best seen through her award-winning rendition of the iconic galette des rois (king cake) from 2020, where Métayer used a 3D printed silicone mould, designed herself, to top the creation with a perfect recreation of Notre Dame’s iconic circular window.

Sustainability also stands as a core pillar of Métayer’s operation. As creations are made solely to order, there is no wastage or spoiled products at the end of each day. Each item is also delivered in zero-waste, plastic-free packaging. Alongside her team, she is determined to prove French pastry creation doesn’t have to be synonymous with excess opulence and consumption.

At just 35-years-old, Métayer already possesses wisdom beyond her years. She has reached the highest echelons of the confectionery world and is wasting no time imparting her knowledge to the next generation of budding pâtissiers through her consultancy work. This year, she is rightfully named winner of The World’s Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Sosa.

The World’s Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Sosa, recognises and rewards talent and excellence in the fields of desserts and pastry. The accolade is voted for by the Academy, formed of 1,080 independent restaurant industry experts and well-travelled gourmets from across the world.