The International Culinary Center announces third annual Pastry Plus conference

UPDATE from ICC:

“At the International Culinary Center, the health and wellness of our community, contributing chefs and students is our top priority. Our team has been diligently monitoring updates surrounding COVID-19, and with the rising concerns, have made the proactive decision to postpone our Pastryland Bake Sale and Pastry Plus Conference scheduled for March 28 and 29, to the weekend of June 13 and 14, 2020, respectively. We are taking this step to help protect all attendees and the establishments that they belong to, as we work in an industry that must continuously strive for safe and clean environments imperative for food preparation and our pastry chefs. We urge everyone to follow public health guidelines in order to preserve the welfare of our industry and ourselves.

Programming for the rescheduled dates will be consistent with what we had planned on the itinerary for March 28 and 29 pending any major conflicts; for ticket purchasers not available the weekend of June 13 and 14, a refund on previously purchased tickets is available until April 15, 2020 by emailing pastryplus@culinarycenter.com. For continued updates on the upcoming Pastry Plus and Pastryland Bake Sale please visit https://www.internationalculinarycenter.com/pastry-plus/”

A popular pastry conference will make its return to New York City in March. The International Culinary Center (ICC) in New York City, in partnership with Callebaut, announced the return of industry conference Pastry Plus on Sunday, March 29.

The third year of the event looks to be the most exciting yet, with the theme of the conference reflecting “The Business of Taste” and as it continues to build a pastry community that promotes a constructive exchange of ideas and information to secure the future of chefs and the niche industry.

The programming for this year’s Pastry Plus conference will feature a welcome address by Founder of ICC’s Pastry Plus, Jansen Chan, followed by an all-female lineup of panel experts Emily Luchetti (Chief Pastry Officer of Big Night Restaurant Group), Lani Halliday (Owner of Brutus Bake Shop), Sherry Yard (Pastry Chef & Author), and Kirsten Tibballs (Pastry Chef/Founder of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School) as they discuss the business of baking.

A series of breakout classes that stem from the pillars of craft, innovation, and workplace are available thereafter curated by pastry legends such as Jacques Torres, Christina Tosi, and Ron Ben-Israel. Additional activities throughout the day include a networking reception and (new to 2020) pre-conference Industry Field Trips at Union Square Hospitality Group’s Gramercy Tavern, Daily Provisions, and The Modern, as well as Ron Ben-Israel Cakes.

Throughout the conference, attendees will get an interactive and personal look at forecasted trends at three of the nine classes and seminars throughout the day. These include:

Ruby Chocolate Innovation – International Pastry Chef Kirsten Tibballs, Founder of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in Melbourne, leads a class focused on chocolate techniques including use of Callebaut Ruby and Callebaut Gold Chocolate
Understanding Your Spices – Burlap and Barrel takes you on a journey of spices you thought you knew, and some you’ve probably never heard of before, to explore the impact of single-origin spices
The Resurgence of Bread – Ryan Morgan from Sixteen Bricks shares his story of a family business, turned leading bakery for the Cincinnati area, embracing the flavor of wheat
Team Diversity & Inclusion – Jackie McMann-Oliveri educates on promoting workplace diversity and best practices for a productive and inclusive work environment as Director of Talent and Culture for Bobby Flay Restaurants
Plant-Based Future of Pastry – Plants are the future; Eclipse Foods and Katzie Guy-Hamilton, Author of Clean Enough, discuss the trending plant-based industry and its impact on the pastry market

“Pastry Plus is one of the rare opportunities to gather the pastry industry and foster a community,” says Jansen Chan, founder of Pastry Plus and Director of Pastry Operations at ICC. “It is a reinvestment in our future. With this conference we’re able to connect fellow pastry chefs of all skill sets and give them an opportunity to learn, network, and be inspired by peers and mentors.”

Before Pastry Plus on Saturday, March 28 is Pastryland, a community bake sale presented by ICC that features never-before-tasted creations from more than 20 top pastry chefs. The bake sale will be held from 12-3 p.m., with VIP entrance from noon-1 p.m., and allows locals and pastry lovers to get a taste of edible works of art for $15 general admission and $50 VIP. All proceeds from Pastryland bake sale will go to charitable partner Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

Tickets for Pastry Plus are available now through February 27 for the Early Bird rate of $90 on the International Culinary Center’s website; standard general admission will be $120/ticket come February 28. The package includes: