THEY CALL HIM the “Picasso of patisserie”, the man who has made his melt-in-the-mouth macarons an international object of desire.

Pierre Herme, who the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” classification and was crowned best pastry chef on Monday, has elevated the simple but delicate French speciality into an art form.

But the larger than life creator, the fourth generation of a family of master bakers from the Alsace region of eastern France, started out not liking macarons at all.

“I found them too sweet,” says Herme, who dreamt of being a |cake maker at the tender age of nine.

That’s why he dedicated himself to making the soft little meringue-like biscuits made of almond flour, egg whites and sugar, a great deal more exciting.

“What prompted me to work on macarons was that before there were just coffee, chocolate and vanilla flavours,” he adds. “So it gave me great latitude for creativity.”

Astonishing inventiveness quickly became Herme’s trademark.

He married unlikely ingredients and fillings such as olive oil and vanilla, or wild rose hip, fig and foie gras to exquisite effect, insisting that sugar should be used as a “seasoning and not a principal ingredient.”

Instead, his famous laboratory near Parc Monceau in central Paris works on the intensity of taste, turning out such classics as the “Ispahan” – made with raspberries, lychee and rosewater – and the “Mogador,” a sublime combination of passion fruit and milk chocolate.

Despite his mother’s protestations, Herme apprenticed himself to the great Parisian patissier Gaston Lenotre at the age 14 before leaving to join the rival house Fauchon a few years later.

Having spent the 1980s developing his art – during which time he also worked for Laduree, famous for its pastel-coloured macarons – he went out on his own in 1997.

The following year, he opened his first shop in Japan, and soon his creations were becoming objects of conspicuous consumption, often given as presents in beautifully designed boxes.

Herme insisted constant experimentation is the root of his success.

He begins each new creation with a drawing and by writing out the recipe, often inspired by “something I have tasted, something I have read or maybe an image,” he says.

He then calls in his team of patisserie chefs who work in his laboratory, which is housed in the 19th-century Parisian mansion where he has his office.

But not all of his ideas are successful.

“For example, we worked on a pear and chestnut macaron. But after three attempts, we had to admit that we were never going to make one that had both the true taste of pear and of chestnut at the same time,” he says.

“So I decided to make a chestnut one and a pear one and sell them together.”

Herme, 54, who keeps all the notes from his experiments in his archive, is also a long-time collaborator with artists and perfumiers, including Jean-Michel Duriez, the “nose” of the Rochas brand of perfume.

The French artist Nicolas Buffe has decorated his new chocolate boxes with drawings in his “fairytale Manga” style.

Although Herme long ago expanded into tarts, cakes, chocolates and jams, the core of his business remains macarons, which cost 2.10 euros (B85) each in his Paris boutiques.

“I consider the creation of pastries as an Art with a capital ‘A’… just like music, painting or sculpture,” Herme proclaims on his website.

And the “Dior of desserts” also rejoices in the revival of high-end patisserie in France, which he has to some degree inspired.

“There are more and more talented patissiers out there opening shops and doing great things in hotels and restaurants. The profession is very much alive and there are lots of people eager to learn, which is wonderful,” he says.

“Twenty years ago when you said that you wanted to be a patissier, people would say, ‘Really?'” Herme adds.

“From the age of nine I wanted to be a patissier. My mother tried to talk me out of it, but it didn’t work.”

ONE OF THE best-known event organisers in Thailand, Sombatsara “Tue” Teerasaroch can always be found behind the scenes of glamorous fashion shows, beauty events, product launches and more than a few of the social extravaganzas Thais are so fond of hosting.

A small man with plenty of character, Tue is always clad in a black suit, cool accessories and sunglasses and inevitably wears a serious look on his face. Quick to anger when things don’t go quite as he has planned, he is nonetheless kind and his wit is legendary.

Now he has moved from the shadows into the spotlight with the launch of a photo book that showcases his work in the event-organisation business, his passion for his career, and his philosophy “Impossible or I’m possible”.

“That is how I define and drive my energy,” says Tue.

At 54, he feels a need to give back to society, and indeed the country, for giving him the chance to live a happy life and be at the top of his profession. The 265-page book, simply titled “Tue” brings together photographs, sketches, ideas, and the nuggets of wisdom he writes as reminders to himself, among them, “Be mindful, live like today is the last day of your life”, “The best day is today” and “Accept, but never succumb”.

The book, though, is not for sale with 2,000 free copies earmarked for students and libraries across the country. He handed out more than 500 copies to young people during the recent launch event and will be travelling to other parts of Thailand to distribute the rest.

He sat down with XP after the launch.

WHAT DOES THIS PHOTO BOOK MEANS TO YOU?

I want to record all my work through photo books and for this one I’ve have selected experiences that I believe can inspire young people to pursue a career in the industry. If one page gives them inspiration, then it’s worth it.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?

Well, I was raised in rural Lampang and I attended Rajamongkol Lanna University where I studied architecture. I’ve been in the event organising business for some 30 years and worked for many leading companies in the fields of design, fashion, advertising management and marketing before I decided to start up my own company 18 years ago. My jobs have paid me not just in terms of money but in knowledge and in long-term relationship with customers. ‘Tue’ is my nickname and since I am known to so many people by that name, I called my company Tue too.

ARE THERE ANY RULES AN EVENT ORGANISER HAS TO FOLLOW?

There are no fixed rules. We always do everything we can to make our customers happy. When we have problems, I’ve always told my team, ‘It’ll be finished soon’. As our work inevitably involves a set period, and usually a short one at that, when the last day of the event begins, we know it will soon be over. I remind myself all the time that I am happy doing what I love. I don’t feel I am working. But a client is happy perhaps once a year from the job he or she hires me to do, so I have to give it my all. We are all happy to do a good job.

TUE COMPANY IS KNOWN FOR ITS PRIDE IN PERFECTION. WHAT CAN WE TAKE HOME FROM THAT?

Don’t betray yourself. Ever. I consider being honest with clients, with yourself and towards your career is vital. In fact all jobs demand this integrity. My company is a small one but I am very proud of the quality of my team. Everybody is capable of assuming all the tasks and they can easily stand in for each other. My team is the asset of my investment. They must have a good quality life. I usually take them to good places. We stay, eat, and travel together. They have to learn about and experience the lifestyles of our clients. We speak the same language because we see, we eat and live the same things. In the past, I used to rely on my left hand and my right hand for assistance. Now I prefer to use all ten fingers. Everybody is like a cog in the wheel. My staff do not need to be well-educated but must be willing to learn. If they are, then I believe I can train them. My working style can be compared to raising a mango tree. I don’t care whether it comes from the seed or the sapling. I feed it soil, water, fertiliser and at the end we get delicious mangoes. To me that is the right way of working.

WHAT ARE THE SKILLS NEEDED FOR THIS CAREER?

I think everybody has his or her own talent; it all depends on how we use it. I have proved that everybody can be trained. It is a collective learning experience. My driver is a great example; he is a very good producer. I have people on my team who trained as nurses and lawyers and they have become strong production designers. I have another who didn’t finish fourth grade at school, who is also excellent.

HOW DO YOU COPE WITH THE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM EACH EVENT?

Through being happy at work. You must feel you want to go to work and you will have a good day. Never think negatively. When you have problem, you fix it. What has to be done, you do. What makes client happy, you do that do. But whether they will hire you for the next project or not, you should never feel the pressure. If one out of 30 or 500 attendees at the event becomes my client, then it’s worth it. That’s why you have to keep on being happy, making others happy and doing good work but when you go home at the end of the day, you do not hold on to anything. And if I feel apologetic about something, I will say ‘I’m sorry’ without hesitation.

I’m very normal person. I often revise what happens each day, and then pray for forgiveness.

As I say in this book, ‘I’m possible’. This book offers great pictures and ideas, but from time to time it touches on humour, rebellion, seriousness, dharma and just simply being human. Once the readers finish going through the book, I would say it is not the end but the beginning. We live for tomorrow.

people on my team who trained as nurses and lawyers and they have become strong production designers. I

have another who didn’t finish fourth grade at school, who is also excellent.

HOW DO YOU COPE WITH THE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM EACH EVENT?

Through being happy at work. You must feel you want to go to work and you will have a good day. Never think

negatively. When you have problem, you fix it. What has to be done, you do. What makes client happy, you do

that do. But whether they will hire you for the next project or not, you should never feel the pressure. If one out

of 30 or 500 attendees at the event becomes my client, then it’s worth it. That’s why you have to keep on being

happy, making others happy and doing good work but when you go home at the end of the day, you do not hold

on to anything. And if I feel apologetic about something, I will say ‘I’m sorry’ without hesitation.

I’m very normal person. I often revise what happens each day, and then pray for forgiveness.

As I say in this book, ‘I’m possible’. This book offers great pictures and ideas, but from time to time it touches on

humour, rebellion, seriousness, dharma and just simply being human. Once the readers finish going through the

book, I would say it is not the end but the beginning. We live for tomorrow.