Jérémy Del Val, a breath of fresh air at the prestigious Maison Dalloyau.
First of all, could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Jérémy Del Val, and I’ve been the Creative Pastry Chef at Dalloyau for the past 5 years. Here, I oversee the brand’s entire dessert lineup, both in France and internationally. Dalloyau is a wonderful French gourmet house that brings together a wide variety of specialties, from pastry to chocolate to ice cream.
What does the Dalloyau brand represent? What are the key elements of its signature style, and what have you brought to it?
Dalloyau is a historic patisserie with many iconic creations. These include the Opéra, created in 1955; the Echiquier, from the 1990s; and the Dalloyau. As its name suggests, the Dalloyau is one of the brand’s iconic cakes. I reworked it a few months ago to “rejuvenate” it while preserving the essence of this pastry, both in terms of flavor and appearance. I adjusted the textures of the praline and meringue. I then added a molten praline center, in the spirit of “food porn,” which is more in line with current trends.
What is your role at Dalloyau?
I’m fortunate to have more and more creative freedom here. These days, there’s a real dialogue with the marketing and communications team. They share their ideas for designs centered around traditional “seasonal themes”—like Valentine’s Day, Easter, or Christmas, for example. I’m also fortunate to be able to develop spring-summer and fall-winter collections in the same spirit as the fashion world. Right now, I’m thinking about a raspberry cake for the spring-summer collection.
What are your thoughts on the “natural” trend?
When it comes to “naturalness”—a term that’s becoming increasingly common in our field—my approach is to work as closely as possible with the seasons and to source a selection of local French products for all dairy items, such as milk, cream, and so on.
Dalloyau is expanding its international presence. How do you view this development, and what role do you play in it?
Our gourmet restaurant has been home to many great chefs before me, such as Yann Brys and Pascal Niau, who helped put the restaurant on the map. It puts a certain amount of pressure on me to ensure it shines at least as brightly as it has up to now. Today, I’m fortunate to be able to travel twice a year to Japan, Hong Kong, or Dubai to further the chefs’ training. What’s important to me is fostering exchanges with local chefs so that I can share my knowledge with them, and they, in turn, can share their cultures and perspectives with me. In every country, French pastry is prominently featured, even though, each time and in every region, I strive to incorporate a local touch—particularly through specific flavors.
When creating recipes, there are ingredients and equipment. Can you explain why equipment is so crucial to bringing your creations to life?
The choice of equipment is very important because it supports the techniques used in making a cake. Some items may be more suitable than others. I always look for the highest quality so that they will last a long time and I won’t have to replace them too often.
Do you use the same equipment everywhere?
In different countries, it can be difficult to find exactly the same raw materials and equipment to work with. In Japan, where Dalloyau has been established for over 20 years, we’ve now developed a deep understanding of our suppliers. We also import many products from France because French quality is recognized and appreciated. As for equipment, such as that offered by Matfer Bourgeat, we’re fortunate that the brand operates in the same countries as we do, which allows us to find products identical to those in France—something that’s always more convenient and easier, and ensures true continuity in our work.
In a few words, what does Matfer Bourgeat mean to you?
To me, quality and “Made in France” are the two key values at Matfer Bourgeat. Even though they’re not exactly “edible,” they’re still very important, and it’s essential to spread the word about them. This French craftsmanship is a real asset, and working with Matfer Bourgeat every day is a privilege. I also had the chance to visit the Matfer Bourgeat factory and discover that, even for utensils found all over the world—such as whisks or spatulas, for example—everything is made by hand, and that was truly fascinating.
Are there any specific aspects to your relationship with Matfer Bourgeat?
Two years ago, Dalloyau established a partnership with the Ferrandi School, in which Matfer Bourgeat served as a sponsor and provided us with a great deal of support. Marine Mora was also a member of the judging panel for this competition in the Pastry category, where Dalloyau offered the young participants the opportunity to display their best creations in-store for a month. Two pastries stood out, and Matfer Bourgeat then supported these young people and their creations by designing custom molds to ensure everything was produced under the best conditions for display in the store. It was a wonderful initiative for us and for the young participants alike.
You can also find Chef Jérémy Del Val’s recipe for the 2020 Valentine’s Day tart right here.
