Paris, one week in.
Barely settled from New Zealand, and already I’m on a train to Paris – off to start my long-awaited internship at Pierre Hermé.
The alarm goes off at 4:30. In the dark, I make my way to the shop in the 15th arrondissement, stepping inside as quietly as I can. It’s empty. Where is everyone? A moment later, I find Sébastien, the head of the morning team, who hands me a set of locker keys. Now, at least, I can head downstairs and change.
The pâtissier outfit – something I once imagined with so much anticipation – turns out to be more practical than elegant. A loose jacket, high-waisted pied-de-poule trousers, a Pierre Hermé baseball cap. The only redeeming piece: my shoes, white sabots, built for long hours on my feet. Some people manage to make it look good. I am not one of them. If I had any doubt, it vanished when one of the guys saw me in my regular clothes and exclaimed, “Oh mais Fanny, vous êtes beaucoup plus belle comme ça, vraiment.”
With that settled, I stop looking in the mirror and go upstairs to meet the chefs. Apron first – two, actually: one cotton, one plastic. Things will get messy.
I step into the laboratoire, wash my hands, shake hands with everyone. So many new faces, so many names. I pride myself on being good with names, but this is another level. I smile, nod, listen. The use of vous is enough to remind me that no matter how quickly I learn, I am still the new one here.
Pastry kitchen survival 101
Rule one: vous, always.
Rule two: say chaud – not necessarily because what you’re carrying is hot, but because it’s heavy, in motion, and you don’t want to hear dégage instead. After a while, shouting chaud every few minutes becomes second nature. And useful – I can’t imagine anyone wanting to be doused in 118°C sugar syrup.
By now, it’s just after six, and I am wide awake. Not just awake – sharp. Watching hands move, pastry bags squeeze, trays slide in and out of ovens, buttercream smoothed into perfect ripples. This is the morning team. They’re here to produce cakes, entremets, yeasted pastries – every motion precise, every detail considered.
First week, first lessons
My role? To move from one station to another, stepping in where needed, absorbing everything I can. In my first week, I’ve done everything from sorting almonds to making candied lemon peel. I start with something simple – measuring ingredients for crème onctueuse au chocolat. Straightforward, a good way to ease in. Then, the unexpected: the manager tells me to help Simon decorate the Ispahan entremets.
Ispahan. One of the it-pastries at Pierre Hermé. My excitement rises as I stand before the delicate pink creations, ready to arrange raspberries over rose-scented buttercream, tuck fragrant lychees between them, pipe a tiny drop of glucose onto a rose petal before pressing it gently onto the macaron shell.
Then, the Emotions. Pierre Hermé’s signature glass desserts – layered, spoonable. I make both Mosaic (griotte jelly, pistachio jelly, mascarpone cream) and Celeste (rhubarb compote, strawberries, passion fruit mousse, passion fruit marshmallows). The passion fruit marshmallows – light as air, with just enough chew. Separating hundreds of them, rolling them in icing sugar, takes patience, but the result is worth it.
At some point, they let me make an entire batch of Sensation Céleste. A glass layered with jellies, topped with a macaron. First, rhubarb compote – gelatine, purée, lemon, sugar. A measured pour into each glass. Time to set, then another layer, another. I pipe tiny rounds of banana and strawberry jelly for Désiré, a dessert that’s just as delicious as it sounds.
But I can’t just stay at my station – I find myself watching Anna, who handles everything that goes into the oven. Brioche, croissants, canelés, millefeuilles. The canelés are the best I’ve ever had – soft inside, deeply caramelised outside. The Mosaic millefeuille is a dream, pistachio cream playing against the tart griottes.
Next week: c’est la folie des macarons.
(First written in July 2007, edited February 2025.)
55 Comments
loukoum°°°
July 7, 2007 at 2:08 PMVoilà, j’ai mes réponses… enfin, partiellement: tu te réorientes vers la patisserie?
Sinon je vais en profiter pour te poser LA question qui me turlupine avec les macarons de P. Hermé… utilise-t-il la même recette pour les coques des macarons sucrés que pour celles des macarons salées? Parce que ce qui m’empèche de me mettre aux macarons salés c’est que j’imagine ça terriblement écoeurant (et pas bon) si je garde ma recette de coque sucrée…
Mary
July 7, 2007 at 4:43 PMFanny, c’est vraiment top. J’en ai l’oeil tout à fait ébloui. Bonne continuation avec le stage.
fanny
July 7, 2007 at 5:18 PMLoukoum – en fait si je fais ce stage c’est pour ma deuxieme année d’ecole d’ingenieur. Ce n’est vraiment pas traditionnel de le faire en patisserie mais j’ai reussi a convaincre le directeur des etudes de mon ecole.
C’est vrai que ce stage est une bonne opportunité pour moi de voir si je veux vraiment etre patissiere…
Pour les macarons salés, nous en avons pas encore fait, mais des que je le sais je t’en dis plus.
Mary – merci 🙂
Love
– fanny
Rose
July 7, 2007 at 6:07 PMLa chance! La chance que tu as Fanny. Je me reveillerai a 2 heures du mat si j’avais l’opportunite de faire un stage chez Pierre Hermes, enfin sauf quand il s’agit des habits de patissier, ca ne me semble pas tres esthetique!
Je me demande un chose: Commnet ils font si ils leur restent des entremets ou autres de la veille?
A propos, j’ai fais hier ton pain a l’ail… au debut les parts me semblaient enormes, vu que mes pains ont doubles au four, je me suis dit:”Non! je ne pourai jamais manger une part aussi grande toute seule”. Mais une fois j’ai mordu dedans, je ne pouvais plus m’arreter. Merci beaucoup pour cette recette. j’ai trop parle je pense!!
Tres bonne continuations a toi Fanny!
Claude-Olivier
July 7, 2007 at 6:19 PMet bien rien que ca………je reste reveur devant tout ca! Merci de nous montrer de si jolies choses
Anali
July 7, 2007 at 7:21 PMFanny, these pictures are putting me in a trance!! I feel like a little kid looking in a beautiful shop window!
R Khooks
July 7, 2007 at 7:37 PMHey Fanny, Congrats on getting work experience @ Pierre Hermé. You’re pretty lucky you got to do a whole lot of things. I’ve had friends who’ve done work experience and spent the whole time just sifting almonds. If you ever have a moment do pop by La Cocotte. Love to see you there.
fanny
July 7, 2007 at 8:38 PMRose – c’est vrai que j’ai beaucoup de chance avec ce stage… et je m’en rends compte.
Sinon je suis contente de savoir que tu as aimé les petits pains 🙂
Claude-Olivier – merci, ca me fait plaisir.
Anali – haha. Glad you like them and the pastries were YUMMY.
Rachel – yeah i so realise how lucky i am; i wasnt expecting to do so many things and i loooove it.
Ill drop by to La Cocotte for sure. Sounds like such a lovely place.
ps just added a link to your blog – hope you dont mind 😉
Love
– fanny
Rosa
July 7, 2007 at 8:43 PMHi Fanny, I’m fascinated and envious about your stage – OK, maybe I don’t envy you the outfit or the hours, but the rest sounds thrilling. I’m very happy to learn about La Cocotte, too!
tanya
July 7, 2007 at 8:46 PMFascinating! Thanks for sharing your experience. I can’t wait for my next Paris trip to taste more Pierre Hermé treats – maybe made by you 🙂
anna-sarah
July 7, 2007 at 9:28 PMça a l’air génial mais tu dois etre crevée j’espère pouvoir venir en juillet peut etre avec aurore…
Jennifer Jeffrey
July 7, 2007 at 9:29 PMOh… you have me drooling into my keyboard. Gorgeous photos! Thanks for the peek into your new life. Can’t wait to read more!
Aimee
July 7, 2007 at 10:19 PMI never knew something as wonderful as a passion fruit marshmallow even existed. The world is certainly a better place because of them…do they ship to Montreal?
fanny
July 8, 2007 at 12:39 AMRosa – Im actually so excited to be working at Pierre Hermé that I dont even mind waking up at 4.30 or going to bed at 2am.
Tanya – I can only recommend it 😉
Anna-Sarah – oui un peu, mais je suis tellement contente que la fatigue… pfff
Jennifer – welcome on foodbeam. Glad you liked this post.
Aimee – yeah you’ve said it. At first it’s very surprising because we’re not used to taste tangy marshmallows but then it becomes totally addictive.
Love
– fanny
$ha
July 8, 2007 at 2:47 AMEt quelle opportunité en effet de faire ce stage! C’est génial!
Je reconnais quelques unes de ses pâtisseries que j’ai pu photographier rapidement lors de la rencontre entre bloggeurs du 30 juin à Paris.
Pistache-cerises, tout comme toi, je suis fan…
mercotte
July 8, 2007 at 4:42 AMquelle chance tu as ! c’est superbe et quelle expéprience d’être impliquée dans toutes ces préparations si célèbres !!
Li
July 8, 2007 at 8:27 AMHi Fanny!!!
You are one lucky girl!!!! An internship at Pierre Herme!! I am indeed jealous! 😉
I know what u mean when you talk about the unflattering kitchen garb we have to wear… I do think they were made to make the male chefs look more irresistible than they really are (wouldn’t you agree?). In Australia, you can actually buy jackets made for females, they look more tailored, slightly fitted at the waist to flatter our female physique. Unfortunately, the pants remain high-waisted and shapeless… still, I couldnt imagine wearing leggings or skinny jeans in a kitchen!
I agree it sounds almost ridiculous shouting “chaud!” and I found it really curt everytime someone called out “behind!” (deriere) when i first began working in a kitchen. Now, its second nature.
You sound like you are having an excellent time with your kitchen brigade! Enjoy it! Bon courage and bon chance!
loukoum°°°
July 8, 2007 at 8:56 AMEt bien quelle perssuasion tu dois avoir… 🙂
Mais je un peu étonnée que le plus dure à convaincre ait été ton directeur et pas Hermé! 🙂
fanny
July 8, 2007 at 10:17 AMSha – oui je le reconnais c’est vraiment une opportunité pour moi d’apprendre a travailler aupres des jeunes chefs talentueux qui travaillent pour Pierre Hermé.
Mercotte – oui tout a fait.
Li – thanks for dropping by and all the interesting from-inside notes.
Love
– fanny
david
July 8, 2007 at 3:35 PMSuper write-up…although I’m worried about all the money Pierre is losing.
Sounds like you’re eating as much as you’re making!
fanny
July 8, 2007 at 4:11 PMDaviiiid I am paying for (almost) every single pastry! Haha…
Love
– fanny
Phoodie
July 8, 2007 at 5:32 PMThe very best is when you are walking something hot across the room, then you get to yell “HOT BEHIND!” which still makes me giggle every once in a while after all these years 🙂
Aude
July 8, 2007 at 6:51 PMOui tu nous fais rêver et c’est bien agréable.
Tes photos sont superbes comme toujours mais là avec les créations PH c’est pire, heureusement l’heure du goûter est passée et PH est fermé demain donc ça va 🙂
fanny
July 8, 2007 at 8:09 PMPhoodie – haaaaaaa 😉 Thanks for dropping by and sharing this.
Auda – merci beaucoup: ca me touche. Parfois la boutique rue Vaugirard est ouverte le lundi – je ne comprends pas trop d’ailleurs (ex. lundi il y a deux semaines)
Love
– fanny
MiLOu
July 8, 2007 at 8:15 PMHihihi ca mets en apétit tout ca!!! 🙂
Pour le sac K7 tu peux l’admirer sur le site SUICIDAL.fr et si tu veux tu peux même l’acheter 🙂
Anita
July 9, 2007 at 12:48 AMFanny you are so lucky (I am sure this is sounding like a broken record now!) Thanks for sharing your very exciting adventures…it sounds like heaven to be working in that kitchen!
Lucy Vanel
July 9, 2007 at 10:02 AMFanny this is a wonderful read! You are really living the dream. I am so happy for you! It all looks really amazing.
Aiste
July 9, 2007 at 10:02 AMCongratulations, Fanny! For me, Pierre Herme, is THE ultimate pastissier, the best of the best…Lucky you 🙂
Melissa
July 9, 2007 at 6:34 PMFanny, I’m drooling all over my keyboard. Tell me, do they let you bring home all the damaged and imperfect desserts? If so, just set a few aside – I’ll be on the next flight over!
keiko
July 9, 2007 at 9:33 PMFanny – how exciting, good luck and I’m looking forward to hearing more about it. Can I see you if I go to the Vaugirard shop now? 🙂
Rachael
July 9, 2007 at 9:38 PMWow, wow and double wow. Sounds amazing! Good luck!
(Oh, and I call that the Pillsbury dough-Girl Outfit…LOL)
Graeme
July 9, 2007 at 11:09 PMMy mouth is literally watering, not the stupid figure of speech kind. I’m salivating, lol.
You’ve obviously been very busy giving Pierre a run for his money.
Really cool, I’ve missed your posts!
Robyn
July 9, 2007 at 11:50 PMOh my god, I love you.
I think I almost cried reading this entry. Everything looks and sounds so good but nothing compares to, ye know, EATING THE STUFF.
I love passion fruit marshmallows! if I had to plush them apart, I’m afraid I’m eat…a lot of them. Not that I would ever be allowed to work in a kitchen like PH’s. They would be able to sense my fear of destroying all the beautiful desserts.
Anyhoo, this is such an awesome experience. Thanks for sharing it with us! How long will you be interning for?
Laura at Blame It on Paris
July 10, 2007 at 1:42 AMHow wonderful and fascinating. I’m so excited to be able to follow along vicariously in this experience, which must be exhausting but extraordinary. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m looking forward to every post on this!
fanny
July 10, 2007 at 12:53 PMMilou – merci, je crois que je vais le commander toit de suite!!
Anita – maybe not heaven but definitely not far from it.
Lucy – thank you so much.
Aiste – same thing: Pierre Hermé is my ultimate idol; i can’t help but love everysingle of his creations.
Melissa – hmmm i do go home sometimes with delicious pastries or biscuits but sadly it only happens once a week or so…
Keiko – thanks. I am working at the Vaugirad shop this week 🙂 If you ever come to Paris let me know…
Rachael – thank you!
Graeme – thanks for dropping by; and also for the lovely answer to my comment on your blog. It makes me soooo *happy*.
Robyn – haha. I cant stop laughing from your comment.
Ill be interning for 7 weeks; so many more posts are to come!
Laura – thanks 😉
Love
– fanny
Celine75
July 10, 2007 at 3:40 PMMerci de partager ces moments avec nous, je suis une FAN de P. Hermé et une FAN de ton blog…
“Long time reader, first time poster” mais là je ne pouvais pas rester silencieuse, c’est tellement passionnant de jeter un oeil en coulisses…
Ah et j’oubliais le “quelle chance tu as”, qui est vraiment de mise à la lecture de ce post et de ses commentaires 🙂
Erica
July 10, 2007 at 7:34 PMYay! An internship at Pierre Hermé! I am totally excited for you. Congratulations, I can’t wait to read what you do next!
maria~
July 10, 2007 at 9:10 PMHow very envious I am! An internship at PH is so cool! Keep those beautiful creations coming!
gilly
July 10, 2007 at 9:30 PMWhat a thrill, Fanny! I can’t think of a more deserving person to intern there! Have fun, and enjoy one of those gorgeous cannelés for me! I can’t wait to hear more about your adventures!
Joycelyn
July 11, 2007 at 2:41 PMdear fanny, it is such a treat to be able to read a first-hand account of the magical workings of that inner sanctum! thank you for sharing – can’t wait to read more!
bea at La tartine gourmande
July 11, 2007 at 5:40 PMOh Fanny, this is such an exciting adventure for you. Learning tons, and eating tons I hope for you. Cannot wait to read more.
lori
July 12, 2007 at 7:23 AMI got over here via Serious Eats. I’m a foodie who prefers dessert. Kudos to you for taking such awesome photos while working. What a great experience!
Foodie links « eat like a girl
July 12, 2007 at 7:13 PM[…] Fanny at Food Beam has started her internship at Pierre Hermé and has some beautiful photographs of the delicacies there. […]
fanny
July 12, 2007 at 7:25 PMCéline – merci d’avoir laissé un commentaire. Ca me touche.
Erica – thank you. I’m pretty (and that’s an understatement) excited myself.
Maria – thanks for dropping by.
Gilly – thank you for your sweet words. They make me really *happy*.
Joycelyn – thank you so much for your kindness.
Béa – it is definitely the experience of a lifetime.
Lori – thanks for dropping by and sharing a little piece of your mind.
Love
– fanny
ParisBreakfasts
July 12, 2007 at 9:58 PMIt’s exciting to walk in your shoes at PH. Your beautifully detailed photos make them more real than real!
Did you shoot these on site?
THANK YOU
André
July 13, 2007 at 4:59 PMBravo pour ce blog…
Je n’ai pas encore eu le temps de tout lire, je vient d’avoir l’info via mail.
Bises
DéDé
jeanne bee
July 14, 2007 at 6:42 PMFanny: this was a fun, sweet read. I am so excited for you. Such a great opportunity for you. I look forward to more servings!
Misook
July 14, 2007 at 10:23 PMHave been enjoying your blog for sometime now. Wow, internship at Pierre Hermé. Thanks for sharing your exciting experience.
Pictures of Ispahan and Emotions brought back delicious memories along with Miss Gla’Gla and the macarons dancing in my head. It’s a good thing I get to revisit come August and September.
Misook
fanny
July 17, 2007 at 4:46 PMCarol – I took the pastries back to my flat and had to take teh pictures before my friends and I could start eating them. Pfff what a long wait!
André – merci 😉
Jeanne – thank you so much for your kind words.
Misook – thanks for dropping by and for the sweet comment.
Love
– fanny
Cenk
July 17, 2007 at 9:37 PMWow! It is almost midnight and seeing all these delicious treats made me so hungry… What a great opportunity for you. I can’t wait to read more about your internship. Best!
Ted Niceley
July 23, 2007 at 6:19 AMAll of this time and I never knew what those “chocolates” meant!
Wonderful blog, wonderful stories and pix on these things P.H.!
I would love to know how you ended up getting the internship,
I can’t wait to read more!
Best to you
Ted
Ted Niceley
August 2, 2007 at 1:42 PMI hope we get to see more about the internship at PH
Love your new camera!
t
Shai
September 30, 2007 at 10:02 AMI envy you so much! being an intern @ PH must be so cool! i can’t wait for more of ur pics. i can’t wait to go to Paris one day (need to save money) hahaha :). Gd luck to you & have a gd day.
Ross
January 12, 2012 at 9:21 PMHi Fanny, just came across your post when I was googling information about how to get a stage at Pierre Herme. Just wondering how did u go about getting it?
andrew
April 15, 2012 at 8:27 AMhow does one go about becoming an intern at pierre herme?