Chef Laurent Branlard, recently appointed as International Judge and Head Coach for Club Coupe du Monde Team USA, is currently the Executive Pastry Chef at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality and food and beverage industry, Chef Laurent has built a career distinguished by his exceptional skill in patisserie. His expertise, recognized internationally, is a testament to his enduring passion for the culinary arts and his commitment to excellence.
Chef Laurent’s impressive journey has taken him to some of the world’s most prestigious resorts and hotels. His tenure includes notable positions at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida, as well as the launch of his own restaurant, LB Bistro and Patisserie, at Starwood Marriott in Chicago.
In his native France, Chef Laurent held various esteemed pastry chef roles and competed in the country’s most prestigious pastry contest, the “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” (MOF), an honor reserved for the most elite chefs in the nation. He further refined his craft by training in chocolate making under the tutelage of Chef Boucher, MOF, one of France’s most renowned chocolatiers.
Chef Laurent Branlard is uniquely distinguished as the only two-time winner of the World Pastry Team Championship, securing his first victory in 2002 and then leading Team USA to another win as captain in 2008. In the interim, he served as a judge and coached Team USA to a bronze medal in the 2006 competition. Additionally, Chef Laurent continued to shape the next generation of pastry chefs as the coach for Club Coupe du Monde Team USA in 2019 at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie.
A graduate of the Pastry Culinary Institute of Vincennes, Chef Laurent is a certified pastry chef, chocolatier, ice cream maker, and confectioner. His extravagant creations have been showcased on platforms such as Food Network, CBS Early Show, and NBC’s TODAY Show, further cementing his reputation as a leading figure in the world of pastry arts.
