CLÉMENCE DE LUTZ

Clémence, a great lover of sweets, was born in Paris. A frequent patron of pastry shops, she quickly developed a palate for all things flaky, buttery, sweet, and chocolatey. At eight, Clémence moved with her family to Washington, DC, where she spent a year perfecting her croquembouche and chocolate chip cookies. Her summers were spent training for dishwashing Olympics in her grandparents’ Auberge in the Luberon region of France, and at age 11, she made a cake that made its way onto the dessert table.

After years of baking, Clémence took a break and went off to Syracuse to study film and anthropology. She moved to LA, worked at Fox, and met the most delicious friends who encouraged her to start a dessert company (typing was clearly not a skill honed in the kitchen). Gourmandise was born out of a kitchen in Venice, and The Gourmandise School grew out of a passion for teaching the company’s favorite recipes. Over a decade later and many satellite kitchen classrooms later, Clémence opened The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica, CA.

Clémence lives in a delicious house with her children Malcolm, Olivia, and Xavier. Clémence is also a food writer, Master Food Preserver, recipe developer, and food consultant. Oh, and chocolate lover!