Chef John Kraus

In August 2002, The French Pastry School proudly welcomed John Kraus as Chef Instructor. A rising star at an early age, Kraus trained as a chef and began his career in London, England, at the Dorchester Hotel. In the kitchen there, he worked with the boulangers and became captivated by the ritual of afternoon tea and the beautiful and intricate pastry he saw each day. Still convinced he should be versatile in the kitchen, Kraus was next hired for general duties by Chef Michel Perraud, Meilleur Ouvrier de Grande Bretagne, and contributed to the opening of the Michelin star restaurant, Fleur de Sel. He continued to assist the pastry chef there in an unofficial capacity.

Upon his return to the U.S., Chef Kraus worked in pastry with Chef Robert Waggoner at the famed five-star, five-diamond Wild Boar restaurant in  Nashville, Tennessee. He was then
appointed Executive Pastry Chef at the exclusive Magnolia restaurant under Chef Emile Labrousse. He is best known in Chicago for the innovative desserts he created while serving as Pastry Chef at NoMI restaurant in the Park Hyatt Hotel Chicago. “John has a beautiful sense of the classic, with a modern twist,” says Executive Chef Sandro Gamba of the
Park Hyatt. “I love his pastry and he always knows what will please the customer.”

After Kraus attended an intensive workshop with Sebastien Canonne, he and Pfeiffer saw in Kraus a unique combination of discipline and innovation that matched perfectly the mission of the school. Kraus’s depth of understanding about ingredients and equipment was rare and reflected their own standards.

In 1999, Chef Kraus was invited to join The French Pastry School in Chicago as an assistant. Over the last several years he has worked diligently with his mentors, Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer and Chef Sebastien Canonne, participating in major competitions and special events across the U.S. and France.

Kraus’s recent awards include the prestigious 2002 Patisfrance Pastry Chef of the Year and the National Dessert Champion of 2002. He has completed numerous stages under Pastry Chef Pascal Caffet in Troyes, France, at Le Palais du Chocolat.

At the 2004 Food Network’s Chocolate Challenge in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Chef John Kraus was declared the winner with his sculpture titled “Love Takes Flight”. His dramatic chocolate sculpture showcased his unique artistic skills and demonstrated a sound knowledge of chocolate.

In 2005 Chef Kraus was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in the United States by Pastry Art & Design magazine.

Kraus’s fascination with pastry covers a range from viennoiserie to chocolate to candies and confections. Once called a romantic teacher by a former student because of his obvious love for
what he does, Kraus is known at The French Pastry School as a generous teacher who makes his lessons applicable to his students’ futures in commercial kitchens or their own
businesses. He takes his students to new levels by creating an environment where they are free to take chances.

Chef John Kraus’s passion and vision for the art of pastry has become a great asset to The French Pastry School and its students.

Known for his discipline in the craft and devotion to passing his knowledge onto his students, Kraus was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in the United States by Pastry Art & Design magazine in 2006. 

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