With more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality profession, Chef Toni Roberts has held executive pastry leadership roles at some of Chicago’s most prominent hotels and restaurants, including The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, theWit Hotel, and C-House. Her work reflects a balance of technical precision and creative vision—qualities that led to her selection as a chocolate candidate in the 2025 U.S. National Selection for Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA.

Since 2021, Chef Toni Roberts has led an expansive pastry program at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, where she oversees seasonal menus for Torali Restaurant, daily breakfast pastries and confections for The Café, and customized offerings for the Ritz-Carlton Residences. Her responsibilities span 434 guest rooms, in-room dining, and curated amenities, along with bespoke desserts for more than 25,000 square feet of event space. She regularly contributes to philanthropic events like Taste of the Nation and Chefs Cook for Ukraine, where top chefs use their skills to support global humanitarian causes.

Before joining The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, Chef Toni Roberts spent nearly a decade as Executive Pastry Chef at theWit Hotel, from 2011 to 2020. There, she oversaw dessert production for State and Lake Chicago Tavern and ROOF on theWit, while also creating custom pastries for VIP guests and wedding clients. In a forward-thinking move that blended hospitality and e-commerce, she launched abitofTheWit.com, a digital platform that enabled customers to pre-order holiday desserts, specialty cakes and seasonal pies—well before online ordering became common in the industry..

From 2008 to 2011, Chef Roberts was the opening pastry chef at C-House, a seafood restaurant in Chicago led by chef Marcus Samuelsson. She managed dessert menus for the restaurant, rooftop lounge C-View, and room service, as well as banquet events. During this period, she took part in a White House State Dinner and a James Beard House dinner, notable events in the culinary community.

She is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where she earned an associate degree in baking and pastry arts in 2005. She has pursued advanced education at L’Ecole Valrhona in Brooklyn, studying chocolate panning and chocolate sculpture—skills that now serve her well.

Chef Toni Roberts offers a rare blend of timeless technique and contemporary relevance. Her career is a testament to sustainable leadership in pastry arts, an ability to evolve with the industry, and an unwavering focus on excellence.

The Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA is supported by an esteemed group of partners. Valrhona serves as the organization’s main founder and platinum partner, joined at that level by Truffly Made and Gourmet Foods International. Gold partners include Midwest Global Imports, Paul Strabbing and AUI. Silver partners are Dobla, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and Chef Rubber, while Paris Gourmet, The Pastry Depot and King Arthur Baking Company serve as bronze partners. Koerner Company and St. Michel are allied partners, and Chef Works | Bragard is the exclusive provider of chef wear for Team USA.

Washburne KKCK placard

The 2025 U.S. National Selection is scheduled for Sept. 6 at the Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute in Chicago, as part of the Chicago Baking & Pastry Forum. The forum, running from Sept. 4 to 6, offers culinary professionals and enthusiasts opportunities for education and networking. Tickets for the event—and to witness Team USA’s National Selection—are available through Eventbrite.

ABOUT CLUB COUPE DU MONDE DE LA PÂTISSERIE TEAM USA

Founded in 1988 by former White House pastry chef, the late Roland Mesnier, Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA is committed to inspiring excellence, creativity, innovation, pride, competitiveness, fraternity and emotion in pastry professionals.

Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA is also dedicated to promoting the sharing, the exploration, the vision and the advancement of both the artistic and scientific realms of the Pastry Arts.

The Club seeks, recognizes and supports America’s best pastry chefs to represent the United States in the prestigious Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France.

With 50 participating countries, this biannual event is the most prestigious pastry competition in the world.

Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA welcomes pastry chefs at all levels in their careers – from culinary students to seasoned professionals, as well as amateur bakers and pastry aficionados. 

We encourage those eager to take part to innovate in pastry preparation, explore unique taste combinations and showcase creative presentation styles.

Our mission is to bring continuous innovation to the pastry profession, while maintaining a deep respect for its rich history. Through this approach, we aim to consistently propel the field forward by tapping into the talents of our participants. We aim to build an impressive team ready to compete at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie.

(SIRHA) PASTRY WORLD CUP (COUPE DU MONDE DE LA PÂTISSERIE): PASTRY REVOLUTION

Founded in 1989, the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie is an international competition representing different trades in the pastry industry including pastry chefs, ice cream specialists, chocolatiers, and confectioners. 

Pastry is emerging in the contemporary world. The desserts are now combining their sensitivity to technicality, to the new architectural and sensory expressions. Nothing stops the sweet creators of the 21st century. And since the world is moving on, the Pastry World Cup is changing dimension, with a completely rethought universal identity. Product sourcing, natural tastes, precise gestures, team spirit are combined for an intense and visionary baking experience.

Pastry World Cup is organized by the global brand Sirha Food®, part of the GL events group.

For more information: www.cmpatisserie.com/en

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