Aspen Prepares for its Second Annual Aspen Pastry Invitational

Photo: Courtesy The Aspen Pastry Invitational

This October, Aspen prepares for its second annual Aspen Pastry Invitational held at Hotel Jerome, The Little Nell and Aspen Meadows. From October 9-11, guests are invited to experience an interactive weekend of workshops with the world’s top pastry chefs and displays of delectable creations. We sat down with Ben Kunert, Pastry Chef at Hotel Jerome to learn more about the upcoming culinary celebration.

Photo: Courtesy The Aspen Pastry Invitational

What inspired the creation of the Aspen Pastry Invitational, and how has the vision evolved since its inception?

Aspen has always been known for its food and wine festival that has been held here for years. The focus is mostly on chefs and the savory side of things, whereby pastry chefs are mostly left in the shadows. Last year we decided to introduce the flip side to Aspen and create an annual festival showcasing all sides of what the broad term ‘pastry’ has to offer.

The goal was to create an event that would have workshops and social events catering to all aspects, from cupcake decorating with the kids to more complex seminars on plated desserts and panettone.  The festival has definitely evolved from being a pilot project to a future staple with multiple partners like Valrhona Chocolate, Reluctant Threads and Boiron helping us make this grow into something big.

Photo: Courtesy The Aspen Pastry Invitational

Tell us about the connection between Hotel Jerome, The Little Nell and Aspen Meadows culinary collaboration?

All three hotels have exceptional pastry teams working to elevate the pastry scene in Aspen. We all feel that there is a genuine interest amongst locals to learn the basics of
what we do. Every hotel has its own style and character and to bring that together shows how diverse pastry can be.

What exciting new elements of the 2025 program should guests look forward to experiencing this October?

This year we have introduced international chefs into the line up and they will bring a very unique flair to the workshops and keep things cutting edge. We have also expanded our offerings with almost double the amount of workshops to last year, covering an even wider variety of topics. We have also introduced a seminar in collaboration with Boiron fruit purees, dedicated more for the professional attendee. But, of course, everyone’s invited.

View the itinerary of workshops and register here.

Photo: Courtesy The Aspen Pastry Invitational