Guest Chef Francesco Coratella

Originally from Puglia, south Italy, Francesco has over 15-years’ experience as a pastry chef, in which time he has held positions at prestigious establishments including Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels. Francesco is currently executive pastry chef for the private member club group, 5 Hertford street and Oswald’s, where he leads a brigade of 30 talented pastry chefs.

Chef Francesco gave the audience an in-depth explanation and demonstration of how panettone is made. In his presentation, Francesco showed every stage of the three-day process, showing the great care and skill that goes into the production of these classic bakes.

From the history of the panettone and the importance of ‘lievito madre’ or natural yeast to sharing tips, recipes and explaining the different variations of this iconic Italian dish Chef Francesco and his team delivered an intriguing event. The event culminated in the skewering and hanging of the panettone which had been baking throughout the event, followed of course by the tasting of some delicious panettone which had been prepared earlier.

Le Cordon Bleu London team extend their gratitude to Chef Francesco and the team from 5 Hertford Street for the fantastic demonstration.

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