Zac Young facts for kids
| Born | 1982 (age 42–43) Portland, Maine, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Education |
|
|
Television show(s)
|
|
Zac Young (born 1982) is a famous American pastry chef and a TV star. He is known for appearing on many baking shows. You might have seen him on Food Network and the Cooking Channel. Some of his most famous shows include Top Chef: Just Desserts and Unique Sweets. He has also been a guest judge on popular baking shows like Nailed It! on Netflix, Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship, and Chopped.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Zac Young was born in Portland, Maine, in 1982. When he was a kid, he really wanted to learn how to bake. His mother was vegan, so she never baked cookies for him. This made him want to bake them himself!
From third to eighth grade, Zac was involved in children's theater. Later, he went to the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts. For a short time, he even worked as a costume designer. But soon, he realized that baking was his true passion. In 2003, he moved to New York City to study at the Institute of Culinary Education. He finished his studies there in 2006.
Career as a Pastry Chef
After graduating, Zac Young started his career in famous bakeries. He worked at Bouchon Bakery and then became a pastry chef at Butter. He also traveled to France to train with top chefs like Philippe Givre and Philippe Parc.
In 2009, Zac became the head pastry chef at Flex Mussels. This restaurant is located on the Upper East Side in New York City. While there, he also ran a special donut shop for a short time inside Grand Central Station.
In 2012, Zac joined the David Burke Group as an executive pastry chef. This company later changed its name to Craveable Hospitality Group.
The Famous PieCaken
In 2015, Zac Young and another pastry chef, Gian Martinez, created a very special dessert. They called it the PieCaken. This dessert is a mix of three different treats! It has a layer of pecan pie, a layer of pumpkin pie, and a layer of spice cake. These layers are held together with cinnamon buttercream. On top, it has apple pie filling. The PieCaken was first made to be sold in restaurants. It quickly became a popular and unique dessert.
Television Appearances
Zac Young has been a familiar face on many cooking and baking shows. He has appeared as a contestant, a judge, and a guest.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Top Chef: Just Desserts | Self | Contestant |
| 2011-2017 | Unique Sweets | Self | |
| 2016-2023 | Beat Bobby Flay | Self | |
| 2017-2018 | Bakers vs. Fakers | Self | Judge |
| 2017-2019 | Chopped | Self | Judge |
| 2017-2023 | Halloween Baking Championship | Self | Judge |
External Links
- Food Network profile
