In October 2005, The French Pastry School proudly
welcomed Bob Hartwig as Chef Instructor. A rising star in the pastry arts, Hartwig joined the school from the
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, where
he served as Executive Pastry Chef.
Hartwig’s love of the pastry arts began while a student
at the Culinary School of Kendall College, where upon
baking his first croissant he knew he wanted to pursue a
career in the field. He not only developed a love of pastry
while studying, he also excelled in the kitchen – winning
several awards and graduating at the top of his class.
Upon graduation in 1997, Hartwig joined the kitchen
staff at Rhapsody in Chicago, producing and plating
upscale desserts for up to 300 customers daily. It was
at Rhapsody where Hartwig first met The French
Pastry School founders Sebastien Canonne, M.O.F.
and Jacquy Pfeiffer, who were serving as consultants
for the new restaurant. Hartwig would collaborate with
Canonne and Pfeiffer several times in the following
years, and the two would serve as mentors to Hartwig
throughout his career.
After working at Rhapsody, and subsequently Mango,
in Chicago, Hartwig joined the Chicago Marriott
Downtown Magnificent Mile as Assistant Pastry Chef.
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Two years later, he joined the Four Seasons Chicago in the same capacity before returning to the Marriott as Senior Pastry Chef. During his tenure at the Marriott, Hartwig successfully took on a dual role, leading pastry production for more than 7,000 customers each week while also serving as mentor and teacher
to his nine-person team.
During a pastry competition in 2000, Hartwig crossed
paths with Canonne and Pfeiffer and later wrote in
his journal: “I hope to one day work with Jacquy and
Sebastien.” Five years later, he was elated to join the
two as a Chef Instructor at the school.
Chef Hartwig applied Canonne and Pfeiffer’s artist-apprenticeship
model in his owns kitchens. He has
been called passionate and a student of the art, and
he is honored to be able to bring that passion to The
French Pastry School. He considers himself a constant
student and looks forward to learning as much from
his students as they do from him.
Hartwig is the recipient of numerous awards, including
the award of excellence from the 2005 Illinois Hotel
Lodging Association, and first place in the Plated
Desserts Competition at the 1999 Confectioner’s
Magazine Candy Expo.
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