Chef Jordan Snider, executive pastry chef at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, has been named team captain of Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA 2027.
Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA selects and trains American chefs for the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France.
A Charleston native, Chef Snider began his career in artisan bread production before rising through luxury resorts in Las Vegas and San Diego. He joined Pastry Team USA as an alternate in 2019, served as the sugar candidate in 2023, and helped the team earn a silver medal at the 2022 Americas Cup in Santiago, Chile, securing the United States’ qualification for Lyon.
As team captain, Chef Snider will lead and coordinate Pastry Team USA’s training and performance at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, guiding strategy, time management and collaboration across the sugar, chocolate and ice disciplines. The captain plays a crucial leadership role—selecting the team’s final creations, representing them to the judges and fostering unity under the pressure of international competition. Combining technical mastery with calm precision, the captain ensures that every detail reflects the team’s creativity, discipline and pursuit of excellence on the world stage.
The 2027 Pastry Team USA is:
- Chef Jordan Snider – sugar candidate and team captain
- Chef François Behuet – chocolate candidate
Executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott L.A. Live in Los Angeles. A decorated competitor, he was a finalist at the 2017 U.S. Pastry Competition and served as Team USA’s chocolatier at the 2023 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie. - Chef Nicholas Forte – ice candidate
Corporate pastry chef for Tao Group Hospitality, West Coast, in Las Vegas. His experience spans high-end kitchens such as Joël Robuchon’s three-Michelin-star restaurant in Las Vegas and Encore Boston Harbor. - Chef Sarah Helzer – team alternate
Executive pastry chef at Primrose Steamboat and Nomadic Table in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She is a classically trained pastry chef and consultant, designing custom pastry menus and training staff with a focus on seasonal ingredients.
The Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, often called the “Pastry World Cup,” is regarded as the world’s most prestigious pastry competition. Held biennially in Lyon since 1989, it brings together top pastry chefs from 20 countries for two days of rigorous competition before an international jury. Pastry Team USA has medaled six times, including a gold in 2001.
“The team we have assembled for 2027 represents the best of American pastry talent,” Chef Stéphane Chéramy, president of Pastry Team USA said. “With Chef Snider’s experience, as well as the team’s creativity and dedication, I am confident they will make a strong impression in Lyon.”
At The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, a Forbes Five-Star property, Chef Snider oversees a pastry department serving multiple restaurants and event venues while mentoring young chefs through an internship program he helped design. Known for his precise sugar work and calm, methodical approach, he has described competition pastry as “equal parts science, art and endurance.”
“Competing is not only stressful but also humbling,” Chef Snider said. “It teaches you to adapt, to innovate and to collaborate in ways you can’t in any other kitchen.”
Founded in 1988 by the late White House pastry chef Roland Mesnier, Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA advances both the artistic and scientific aspects of pastry while nurturing the next generation of talent.
On July 25, 2026, the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie – Americas Selection will return to New Orleans, where top teams from North and South America will compete for a spot in the world finals in Lyon, France, on Jan. 22–23, 2027.
The event will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center during the Louisiana Restaurant Association Showcase, drawing pastry chefs, restaurateurs, and suppliers from across the Americas. More than 6,000 industry professionals are expected, creating an atmosphere of creativity, innovation, and technical excellence—cementing New Orleans as a vibrant stage where the future of pastry is shaped.