Didier began his baking career in the traditional way: at age 15, with technical training at a regional French professional school and an apprenticeship under a local baker. But his love of bread and his desire to see the world soon set him apart — and his career on a very untraditional path.

After a few stints as staff baker in some exotic places, Didier’s abilities caught the attention of his employer, Club Med. He was assigned to the clubs with the most sophisticated clientele. Then Club Med noticed Didier’s organizational skills, and assigned him the task of opening new or remodeled bakeries at the company’s resorts. Included in his responsibilities was training local bakers to work in these bakeries. In 1995, Didier returned to France to enhance his professional skills at the respected Institut National de Boulangerie-Patisserie in Rouen. After five months of highly technical and business oriented training, he was awarded a Brevet de Maitrise, a degree that we would call a “Masters in Baking.”

While working on a private research project for Bay States Milling Company in the United States, Didier became trainer of the 1996 Baking Team USA. His expert advice and patient guidance were important factors in the American team’s first place finish in the bread category at the Coupe du Monde de Boulangerie in Paris in February 1996. In February 1999 under Didier’s guidance the team USA took home the gold medal of the competition and in April 2002, the silver medal. He was also the official coach of the US Baking team that won the gold medal in Paris in April 2005.

Didier has also contributed many technical articles for newsletters and baking magazines His formulas have been published in the professional press and are considerate by the industry to set the standards of quality in Artisan Baking.

When the National Baking Center was created in 1996, Didier was selected to develop and teach the Bread curriculum. His other functions at the NBC included the supervision of various research projects and consulting for specialty bread bakers and millers across the United States, South and Central America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico), the Caribbean (Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica) Europe and Asia (Japan, Korea, Philippines)

In January 2002, he took the position of Head Instructor for the San Francisco Baking Institute where he continued to specialize in baking education and consulting, nationwide and internationally.

Since March 2005, Didier is the vice president of operations at Uptown bakers that serves customers all over the DC area. He also created his own consulting company (Red Brick Consulting) to continue to help the baking industry in the US and abroad.

Professional achievements:

• In July 2010, Didier was selected as a Top ten best bakers in the United States
•  In June 2012, he received the honor to be elected as a member of the prestigious Academie Culinaire de France.
• In December 2013, Didier completed his baking book: Pan, Sabor and Tradicion that won the Cookbook Award for best technical baking book in South America.

Presentation
Keynote Address – Automation
Thursday, March 3, 2022
10:30 am – 11:15 am