Romain Dufour knew from an early age that he wanted to be a baker. He was inspired by his uncle who owned his own bakery in a small town near Bourges, France and where Romain apprenticed for 2 years. He knew that it could be back breaking with long hours, rising in the dark well before dawn. But, the sweet aromas and the kinship of working together to create delicious pleasures had been born. Soon Romain’s imagination and drive, led him out of this small town. He wanted to take on the new challenge of baking for hotels, the opportunity for travel and to continue to learn as much as possible. 

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Romain attended the Ecole de Boulangerie et de Patisserie de Paris, earning 2 diplomas in four years. For his second diploma, Romain was hired at the renowned Plaza Athenee Hotel in Paris, under the direction of Christophe Michalak, World Champion of Pastry. This experience honed Romain’s sense of rigor, his creativity and attention to detail.

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After two years at the hotel, wanting to travel and see the world, Romain decided to leave Paris and headed to Dubai, United Arab Emirates where he worked for 6 years. He was initially hired as the head baker for a start-up French bakery before being recruited to the Intercontinental Hotel where he was Head Baker for three years. When the opportunity to learn a different facet of baking production arose, he took it becoming Executive Head Baker for Bateel, a fine craft bakery. Here he was exposed to different artisan products and processes on a higher scale.

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Romain joined Problend-Eurogerm in 2016 as the R&D Master Baker, where he specialized in dough conditioners, bread mixes, and pastry mixes. After years of hard work and dedication, Romain was named the Head Chef of the Chicago Chocolate Academy with Barry Callebaut in 2023, making him the first baker join the group.