GUADALAJARA CHEF JESÚS ESCALERA IS VOTED LATIN AMERICA’S BEST PASTRY CHEF 2018

Chef Jesús Escalera of La Postrería in Guadalajara, Mexico, has received the title of Latin America's Best Pastry Chef 2018, sponsored by República del Cacao, at the sixth edition of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, unveiled in Bogotá, Colombia on Tuesday 30th October. 

At his dessert-only restaurant, La Postrería, Spanish-born Escalera has broken with the prominence of sugar in the confectionery world. His team works with local ingredients transformed into acidic and bitter notes and smoky and salty touches to give a true Mexican flavour. This translates to dishes including El Bosque (The Forest), a work of art made to look like mushrooms in the forest, containing fruits, honey, matcha and lemongrass, and Hojarasca (Fallen Leaves), with spices, roasted pumpkin, chocolate, honey and cherries.  

Escalera's creations are the result of his experience as pastry chef at El Bulli Hotel, Casa Marcelo, and even a stint at the legendary restaurant El Bulli, all in his native Spain, as well as at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in the UK. After his time in Spain and as head chef at Benazuza restaurant in Cancún, he decided to create a space solely dedicated to desserts, where he could make his iconic menu half savoury, half sweet. In 2013, he founded La Postrería.  

Born in Utrera, near Seville, Spain, Escalera entered the world of gastronomy as a teenager through a summer job in a bakery. Initially, he wasn’t passionate about pastry but, after a couple of years of experience as a pastry chef, he saw a world of possibilities that led him to envisage a meal of sweet dishes without the savoury mains. At La Postrería, his creations are expertly paired with dessert wines, infusions and a variety of teas and origin denomination Mexican coffees. In addition to his work at the restaurant, Escalera is a Sweet Advisor and consults on menus at some of the finest restaurants in Mexico and beyond. He runs La Postrería’s Taller workshop, a space created to taste, train, and develop specialized educational programs for professionals in the pastry world.  

Chef Escalera said: “This award is the greatest honour for me. I admire the 50 Best organisation and all the pastry chefs who have received this accolade, both in The World´s and Latin America´s 50 Best Restaurants. I am very grateful to República del Cacao. It is a happy coincidence, because I use their chocolate in my cooking.”    

Arnaud Monmarché, CEO B2B  from República del Cacao, said: “Having Jesús as Latin America's Best Pastry Chef is a strong sign that there is a generation of young talented chefs willing to work with local high quality ingredients from Latin America. His views on deepening experiences with other pastry chefs globally throughout his concept at La Postrería aligns with our purpose in knowledge exchange and creative development on the region at República del Cacao. ¡Felicitaciones Jesus!”.