Guests were treated to dessert canapés created by Torrent and UWL students who worked together throughout the day to create a variety of desserts from his new book.
Among the many guests attending were celebrity chef Brian Turner, award winning chocolatier Paul A Young, Great British Bake Off winners Edd Kimber and John Whaite, and Buckingham Palace royal pastry chef Kathryn Boyden, who were joined by representatives from Waitrose, Duval Leroy, The Pampered Chef, and Torrent’s close family and friends.
Torrent said: “The time I spent at the University of West London inspired many of the recipes in Pâtisserie at Home. I am still driven by the training I received at the London School of Hospitality and Tourism. The teaching excelled far beyond the classroom, with special demonstrations and dinners from guest lecturers and top chefs such as Brian Turner and Gary Rhodes.
“Working with the students and lecturers was so rewarding and they too can achieve great things with hard work, determination and belief.”
Torrent, 26, graduated from the University in 2007 with a first-class BSc (Hons) degree in Culinary Arts Management and went on to win a first Medallion of Excellence for a British Pastry Chef at WorldSkills Japan that year. Since then he has been crowned Young Chef of the Year and has become a patisserie consultant for retail chain Waitrose and other high profile brands.
UWL vice chancellor Professor Peter John said Will is a shining example of a student who took advantage of every opportunity he was presented during his course and is now being rewarded for this hard work.
“He is one of the many talented graduates who studied at the London School of Hospitality & Tourism; a school which continues to win an array of top industry awards and acts as a passport to success for many of our students,” he said.
Will Torrent’s book, Pâtisserie at Home, is now available in stores and online.