Dubois’ Dubai debut: La patisserie

The millefeuille cake, also known as the thousand layer cake, is one of the most intricate pastries to make; it is also the favourite of internationally acclaimed pastry chef Gerard Dubois, who was in Dubai recently.

Sweet success

But the sweetmaker got the taste of sweet success when he quit a lucrative career with the Hilton Hotel group and opened La Rose Noire Pâtisserie in Hong Kong in 1991.

That simple vision of a 30-seat restaurant and cake shop has now turned into a multimillion dollar company. "I took some of my best chefs with me and 17 years later they are all still with me," said Dubois.

From an initial list of 28 items, La Rose Noire now produces over 550 products covering every sector of the confectionery market.

Through its two production sites in Kowloon and Dongguan, La Rose Noire supplies pastries to all the Starbucks in Hong Kong and China, and many five-star hotels.

Good beginning

Lately his products have made it to shelves in Dubai as well.

"I’ve been promoting my products in Dubai for just four months, and already we have a strong share of the five-star hotel market."

Dubois says he now supplies to two major chains of five-star hotels in Dubai, but wouldn’t disclose who his clients are.

"I got in trouble with a chef once for mentioning that I supply all the pastries to his hotel. Hotels like to say that their products are all home-made."

Dubois also prides himself on making frozen products which he claims surpass the quality and taste of fresh ones.

Dubois has been approached many times to open production lines outside of China, but has turned down all offers.

"I don’t want to spread myself too wide. I think that’s where many chefs make a mistake, it’s very hard to maintain quality control when you do that. It is imperative to have the same quality of product no matter where in the world it is served."

Quite a leap for the 10-year-old boy who started out making bread with his mother in their kitchen.

Dubois says that one of his favourite products in Dubai is the La Rose Noire’s 48 per cent pure butter croissant.

Dubois facts

Over the course of his career, Dubois has won many gold medals at culinary competitions.

He is the co-author of the cookbook, The Cutting Edge, and the author of two specialised pastry cook books, My Recent Journey and Passion.