World Renowned White House Pastry Chef at Sotterley!

Sotterley Plantation is proud to partner with The Boeing Company in announcing the upcoming 2015 Speaker Series presentation entitled:

“Lifetime White House Pastry Chef 
&
Beyond”
 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015
7:00 p.m. in the Barn

 

From humble beginnings in Bonnay, France, Chef Roland Mesnier discovered his vocation early in life while apprenticing for his older brother at a local patisserie in exchange for room and board. This was the beginning of a lifetime of rich experiences and a remarkable career. From sous pastry chef at the iconic Savoy Hotel in London to Executive Pastry Chef at the now Paris Four Seasons Hotel George V, he then landed in Bermuda and worked at the legendary Princess Bermuda Resort. Nine years later, Mesnier became the Executive Pastry Chef at The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA and special consultant to the nearby Greenbrier Hotel in WV.

 

Having earned a strong reputation for his culinary genius, Chef Mesnier’s career took a dramatic turn in 1979 when he was hired by First Lady Rosalynn Carter after a nationwide search. Over a period of 26 years, he served five presidents: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Throughout his tenure at The White House, chef created uniquely designed special confections for the first families, their guests, and international dignitaries including 40 queens, kings, princes, princesses and heads of state. He became the first-ever non-American to serve in the White House and went on to become the longest tenured chef ever – pastry or culinary – in the history of the White House.

 

While at The White House, Chef Mesnier developed and taught the first professional pastry arts program at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, MD, ranked in the top 10 culinary schools in the  United States. He has received numerous awards and prestigious distinctions, including: 18 Gold, 4 Silver and 3 Bronze medals in worldwide competitions for his pastry creations; member of the Academie Culinaire de France; awarded a Doctorate of Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University in SC; recipient of the   Legion of  Honor in 2005 from President Jacques Chirac; inducted into the Chocolate Hall of Fame, New York; named Pastry Chef of the Year in Paris, France la St. Michel in 1987.

 

Chef Mesnier is an adviser to one of the largest food firms in China and appears in television commercials in Beijing and Shanghai. He travels the world making public appearances, judging pastry competitions, participating in fundraising events, and penning his autograph at his book signings. He is the author of five books with one more to be released in October of this year. 

 

This event is FREE to the public.

Advance reservations are required due to limited seating.

Call 301-373-2280 to make your reservation.

Because of the generous grant and continued support from The Boeing Company, Sotterley Plantation is able to offer this important community outreach, fulfilling its mission to preserve, research, and interpret Sotterley Plantation’s diverse cultures and environments and to serve the world as an educational, cultural, and community resource.