The French Laundry

The French Laundry is consistently voted in the top five restaurants in the world, has three Michelin stars to go with a very long list of global accolades.

The French Laundry Press Kit » 182kb pdf

The French Laundry
Napa Valley, California

Dining Alcove

Telecom MasterClasses

Claire Clark – Award Winning Master Patissier

Claire’s desserts have paraded across the lawns of Buckingham Palace and appeared on the plates of the most discerning food critics, winning international acclaim from industry leaders. She has also held the position head pastry chef at The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California; she currently still consults to the world famous restaurant.

Chef Clark - who is regarded as one of the world’s top pastry chefs– will take us on a mouth-watering journey through her repertoire of some of the most delectable desserts in the world. During this masterclass Claire will share her inspirational techniques with you and you will also have an opportunity to sample some of the divine flavours.

Claire Clark, a native of Great Britain, joined The French Laundry as pastry chef after having worked in some of London’s most prestigious kitchens, including the Wolseley restaurant. In 2005, Clark was named “Best Pastry Chef” by Restaurant Magazine.

Clark later won the distinction of becoming the only female recipient of the “Meilleur Ouvrier de la Grande-Bretagne” (MOGB) or, Best Crafts Worker of Britain, the highest award to be given on the grounds of professional excellence.

In September 2005, Clark joined The French Laundry as Pastry Chef, creating desserts that complement Chef Thomas Keller’s distinctive, contemporary American cuisine. In 2007, she received the accolade for “Best Dessert Book” from The World Gourmand Awards soon after she released her first cookbook Indulge, a compilation of her most treasured dessert recipes.

Venue: Show Floor – Hall 4 ASB Showgrounds
Tickets: $80 per masterclass incl gst. Numbers are strictly limited.

The first 20 people to book into each session receive a FREE copy of Claire’s Book Indulge – 100 Perfect Desserts. *conditions apply.

Don’t miss out on a once in a life time opportunity to see Claire Clark.

First Session	Sunday 23rd, 11.00am - 1.00pm	Tickets no longer available on-line contact the Restaurant Association on (09) 638 8403.
Second Session	Monday 24th, 2.30pm - 4.30pm
Third Session	Tuesday 25th, 11.00am - 1.00pm	Sold Out

Lawrence Nadeau

When Thomas Keller sends someone to our country to speak about what makes a great restaurant, we should all take notice. Lawrence Nadeau has been with The French Laundry since its inception and Chef Keller says there is no one who knows his philosophies better than this man. “Finesse is so important in our business that we have plaques on the walls of The French Laundry that spell out the definition: ‘refinement and delicacy of performance, execution or artisanship’. Lawrence has a long history of service with The French Laundry and will take us through some of the restaurants award winning philosophies, how he creates such a well oiled team of dedicated staff and much more.

Nadeau’s strengths include an innate ability to assess, hire and train a dedicated team. He provides seamless communication between the kitchen and dining room. As he says himself, the trick is to learn to “maintain passion for everyday routine,” and there is generally plenty of that in the hospitality business, especially one considered the very best in America. Moving to the Bay Area in 1987, Nadeau has held posts in several acclaimed restaurants including Mac’s in Mill Valley, Table 29 (now Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa), Elka’s in San Francisco and Brix in Oakville.

Each one of Lawrence’s inspirational Masterclasses will focus on a different aspect of the Front of House – Staff management, training, relationship building between the front of house and kitchen, creating a seamless service flow, and much more!

Venue: Show Floor – Hall 4 ASB Showgrounds
Tickets no longer available on-line: contact the Restaurant Association on (09) 638 8403.

First Session	Sunday 23rd August, 2.00pm - 4.00pm Hiring and Training – bringing out the best in your staff
Second Session	Monday 24 August, 11.30am – 1.30pm Great Service. What is it? The do’s and don’ts of dining
Third Session	Tuesday 25 August, 2.00pm – 4.00pm Managing service flow – how to deal with a long waits & difficult guests

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