The Chefs
Chef Antoine
Chef Antoine Chassonnery is the Inventor of the FoliePop’s™ Pastry and the Executive Pastry Chef at FoliePop’s™.
He is a renowned Professional French Pastry Chef and comes from a family of influential Chefs & Culinary Inventors in France. Chef Antoine was trained by the best pastry chefs in France and received some of the finest in-class patisserie training in the world.
He has managed the creative culinary pastry & dessert production of several high-end companies, like the pastry & dessert production of 20 Fauchon shops in the Middle East. Chef Antoine has worked as an Executive Pastry Chef in the St. Regis in Bora Bora, and The Intercontinental Hotel Group in Dubai. He was crowned as top 2 of the Middle East's most talented pastry Chefs.
Chef Antoine has created all of the FoliePop’s™ Signature recipes and culinary concepts using his French savoir-faire. He sold all of his belongings in Dubai and decided to relocate to Austin, Texas to embark on the FoliePop's journey, in the hopes of developing the FoliePop's brand on a national level. He is a passionate food enthusiast and loves what he does, as we are convinced you will too!
A Family Heritage
Chef Antoine was born in the kitchen! His grandfather, Auguste Pralus, was crowned as the prestigious "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" (Best Craftsman of France) in 1955, the highest national recognition for a craftsman. His grandfather is the creator of the famous Praluline pastry, which is a rich, buttery brioche flavored with pieces of signature pralines made with Valencia almonds and Piedmont hazelnuts coated in rose sugar. It is an iconic delicacy in France.
Chef Antoine’s uncle, François Pralus, is the owner of Chocolate Pralus. He is an established bean-to-bar chocolate maker with 17 store locations in France and his own Chocolate plantation in Madagascar.
Chef Antoine’s father, Alain Chassonnery, worked in highly ranked 3-Star Michelin restaurants in France, such as: Bocuse, Troisgros, and Ducasse.
Chef Kévin
Chef Kévin D'Andrea is the Executive Chef at FoliePop's.
He is a talented young Chef with a unique story & years of experiences in the Culinary scene. Chef Kévin was finalist of the culinary TV show "Top Chef" France in 2015 and was awarded "Best Young Chef of 2016" in France.
At a young age, Chef Kévin was taken under the wing of legendary Michelin Star Chef Alain Llorca at Hôtel Belles Rives in the French Riviera, which fueled his passion for the culinary scene and his professional development in the industry. Chef Kévin worked with Chef Alain Ducasse in the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris before working at 3 Michelin star restaurant, Le Meurice with Yannick Alléno. Chef Kévin later worked at the iconic restaurant Bob Bob Ricard in London before opening his very own restaurant in Paris. He was awarded "Best young Chef of 2016", while his restaurant, Mensae, won "Best Bistro of Paris" in the same year.
In pursuit of the American Dream, Chef Kévin packed his cooking knives & left his successful career in France in a daring move to come to the USA, where he served as Executive Chef for the restaurant La Villa in Houston, TX after falling in love with Texas.
Chef Kévin was seduced by the FoliePop's project and by the city of Austin, Texas, which reminds him of his hometown in the South of France. Today Chef Kévin is part of the FoliePop's Family and ready to Pop's Your Life!
A Passion For Life
Fueled by his culinary passion, his entrepreneurial way of thinking, and an itch to develop his culinary craft, Chef Kévin went from moving to Paris to work with the best Chefs in the industry, to relocating to London without speaking a word of English, to being a top 2 finalist in the famous Culinary TV Show "Top Chef" France in 2015.
After his impressive season at "Top Chef" France, Chef Kévin opened his own restaurant in Paris: Mensae, where he received the title of "Best young chef of 2016". His restaurant, Mensae, was named "Best Bistro of Paris 2016". After meeting such success in France, Chef Kévin packed his knowledge, his cooking knives, and his culinary skills and jumped on a plane to the USA. He felt ready to expand his horizon and discover the American tastes & flavors.
Chef Kévin served as the Executive Chef of the restaurant La Villa in Houston, Texas, where he incorporated American ingredients & flavors into his authentic dishes.
In the Spring of 2020, Chef Kévin met the FoliePop's Team in Austin, TX and was immediately seduced by the city and the FoliePop's project. His culinary experience and entrepreneurial force made him fit right into the family business. Today, Chef Kévin is the Executive Chef at FoliePop's. He designs and creates all of the FoliePop's savory recipes.