The Chef

Born in Paris and raised in the town of Perpignan, located in the south of France, Laurent Vals was 16 years old when he began his professional education at "l’Ecole Hoteliere du Moulin a Vent", in 1986. He received his diploma in 1988, first as chef, and then going on to receive a second diploma, as pastry chef, in 1989. Upon completing his schooling, Laurent went to work with Robert Barajas, Master Pastry Chef, and Jean Philippe Mehamli, finalist of the famous "Prix Taittinger" in Paris.

At the age 20, Laurent began an international career as a chef, traveling to the United States to work in Charleston, South Carolina. By age 25, Laurent was working in restaurants in Paris and New York City. Then, five years later, at age 30, Laurent returned to the east coast of the United States. In 2001, he settled in Newport, Rhode Island, where he initiated his career in pastry.

In 2003, Laurent was hired by one of the finest boutique hotels in Rhode Island to run their restaurant's pastry department as Executive Pastry Chef.

By 2004, his work began to attract the attention of the local media, capturing the front cover of RI Monthly Magazine, as well as being featured in a plated dessert segment on TV, and in several other articles in local newspapers.

While working at the hotel, Laurent developed a collection of chocolate confections for guests of the hotel and restaurant. He was later featured in a chef profile for a national pastry magazine, Pastry’s Best.

By 2007, after only 3 years, Laurent had come to be considered one of the top pastry chefs of the state. Then, in January of 2008, he formed his own company "LAURENT VALS HANDCRAFTED CHOCOLATES". And after just a few months, in August of 2008, RI Monthly Magazine awarded him the distinction of "BEST EUROPEAN CHOCOLATES OF RHODE ISLAND 2008" in their "Best of Rhode Island" issue.