Nathaniel Reid, a native of Farmington, Mo., and an award-winning pastry chef, has been named the new executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis and will be overseeing pastry operations for the luxury hotel in Clayton. Reid replaces Simone Faure, who left the position at The Ritz last fall to open her French patisserie, Chouquette.
Reid graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris with a Grand Diploma in Culinary and Pastry Arts. He’s also a graduate of the University of Missouri–Columbia. Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, he served as pastry chef for Norman Love Confections in Fort Meyers, Fla. His resume also includes time working as the executive pastry chef at St. Regis Monarch Beach, a Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond resort in Dana Point, Calif.; a pastry position at Joël Robuchon Restaurant at The MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas; and a pastry position at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel (now called Ravella) in Las Vegas.
Reid was named one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America by Dessert Professional magazine last year, and, in 2010, he was named Pastry Chef of The Year at the U.S. Pastry Competition in New York. He also served as a judge for the highly regarded competition in 2011 and 2012. In 2009, he placed first in the best chocolate/confection category at the Golden Scoop Awards. That same year, he helped Team USA take home third place at the International Patissier Grand Prix in Tokyo.
This article appears in April 2013.