Pastry Chef Richard Hawke hosts pastry demonstration at Le Cordon Bleu London

Le Cordon Bleu London were joined by pastry chef, Richard Hawke, for a pastry demonstration featuring the use of non-traditional ingredients, in partnership with Weiss Chocolate and Ritter Courivard.

Originally from Australia, Richard is a consultant chef who trained in Sydney and France. A former pastry teaching chef at Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Pâtisserie, Richard moved to Casablanca in 2016, launching a pastry boutique, which specialised in gluten-free, nut-free and lactose-free products.

His innovative approach to creating gluten and dairy free pastries was the focus for his demonstration, and guests were quick to ask chef Richard questions on the vegan and gluten free ingredients he uses to make his pâtisserie as accessible as possible. Richard likes to find similar ingredients which offer the same textures and flavours as traditional desserts, so that gluten or lactose intolerant people and those who follow vegan diets can still enjoy his pastries.

Chef Richard created a range of sweet delights using alternative ingredients, including a gluten-free White Chocolate Tart, vegan Ganache and gluten-free Sesame Lemon Green Tea Choux. Chef Richard used ingredients such as brown rice flour in place of wheat flour, and water mixed with a dairy-free emulsifier for his creations, matching the tastes and textures of traditional ingredients.

Chef Richard put on a fascinating demonstration, showing that by using traditional methods alongside a little creativity and experimentation with ingredients, one can create deliciously impressive pastries which accommodate those who have a restricted diet.

To read more about the event to see more upcoming events like this please visit our culinary conferences and demonstrations page. Or to learn skills like those demonstrated by Richard Hawke, why not browse our programmes and courses?