Nina Métayer is the French pastry chef who, in the space of a few years, became the most decorated cheffe pâtissière of her generation — the first woman named best pastry chef in the world by both the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (2023) and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (2024). Born in La Rochelle in 1988 and trained at the École Ferrandi in Paris, she runs Délicatisserie, the pâtisserie she launched in 2020.
Métayer made her name in the kitchens of leading Parisian hotels and restaurants before going out on her own, and she is known for combining classical French technique with a light, modern, often plant-forward sensibility and a strong presence on social media.
TL;DR
- French pastry chef, born 1988 in La Rochelle; trained at the École Ferrandi, Paris
- Founder of Délicatisserie (2020), which began as an online pâtisserie with collection and delivery
- First woman named World’s Best Pastry Chef by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (2023)
- First woman named World’s Best Pastry Chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (2024)
- Pastry Chef of the Year — Le Chef (2016) and Gault&Millau (2017)
Nina Métayer key facts
| Born | 1988, La Rochelle, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Business | Délicatisserie (founded 2020) |
| Training | École Ferrandi, Paris |
| Major honours | World’s Best Pastry Chef — UIBC (2023) and World’s 50 Best (2024); first woman for both |
| Discipline | Pâtisserie (pastry) |
Early life and training
Nina Métayer was born in 1988 in La Rochelle, on the Atlantic coast of western France, where she first fell for baking through the simple ritual of making galettes charentaises with her grandmother. Her vocation crystallised at sixteen during a school trip to Mexico, where she realised that French pastry was a craft recognised around the world. She went on to train at the École Ferrandi in Paris, one of France’s most respected culinary schools.
Career in Paris kitchens
Métayer began her professional career in the pastry kitchens of Parisian five-star hotels and went on to become head pastry chef. She worked with Jean-François Piège on the opening of Le Grand Restaurant, which earned two Michelin stars within six months, and she also led pastry at Café Pouchkine. In 2016 she was named Pastry Chef of the Year by Le Chef magazine — the first woman to receive the title, voted by leading chefs — followed by the same honour from the Gault&Millau guide in 2017.
Délicatisserie
In 2020 Métayer launched her own pâtisserie, Délicatisserie, with an unusual model for fine pastry: it began fully online, with customers ordering in advance and choosing a collection point or delivery rather than visiting a traditional shopfront. She opened a physical outlet in Paris in 2021 and a second at Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the Paris suburbs, in 2022. The format reflected both her digital-first approach and a focus on reducing waste through pre-ordering.
World’s Best Pastry Chef
Métayer’s international breakthrough came with two landmark awards. In 2023 she became the first woman to be named the world’s best pastry chef by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners. In 2024 she became the first woman to be elected World’s Best Pastry Chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Together the titles confirmed her as the leading figure in contemporary pâtisserie and a prominent advocate for women in a historically male-dominated field.
Awards and recognition
- Pastry Chef of the Year — Le Chef magazine, 2016 (first woman to win)
- Pastry Chef of the Year — Gault&Millau, 2017
- World’s Best Pastry Chef — International Union of Bakers and Confectioners, 2023 (first woman)
- World’s Best Pastry Chef — The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, 2024 (first woman)
Nina Métayer in context
Métayer belongs to a generation of French pastry chefs who have turned pâtisserie into a discipline with the same profile as cooking. Her work sits alongside that of other leading pastry names featured here, including Cédric Grolet, Jessica Préalpato and Dominique Ansel, while her position as one of France’s most prominent female chefs invites comparison with figures such as Anne-Sophie Pic.
Follow Nina Métayer
Follow @nina_metayer on Instagram → · Official website
Nina Métayer FAQ
Who is Nina Métayer?
A French pastry chef, born in La Rochelle in 1988, who became the first woman named World’s Best Pastry Chef by both the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (2023) and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (2024).
What is Délicatisserie?
The pâtisserie Métayer founded in 2020. It started as an online-only operation with pre-ordering and collection or delivery, before opening outlets in Paris (2021) and Issy-les-Moulineaux (2022).
Where did Nina Métayer train?
At the École Ferrandi in Paris, after growing up in La Rochelle. She then worked in Parisian five-star hotels and with Jean-François Piège at Le Grand Restaurant.
Why is Nina Métayer significant?
She is the most decorated pastry chef of her generation and a trailblazer for women in pâtisserie, being the first woman to win the world’s two main best-pastry-chef titles.
Where is Nina Métayer from?
She was born in La Rochelle, on the Atlantic coast of western France, in 1988.
