The Story

From a young age, Jack always loved food. As his interest in cooking deepened, he found his way into the kitchen of Chez Jean Pierre, a French bistro in Palm Beach, Florida. There, he gained valuable experience in a high-performing yet calm environment, working alongside chefs Guillaume Leverrier, Alain Krauss, and Benoit Delos.​

After his time at Chez Jean Pierre, Jack met Raphael Dequeker - the head pastry chef at Valbella Greenwich - who had trained under culinary legends Alain Ducasse and Pierre Hermé. Jack spent hundreds of hours apprenticing under Raphael, learning not only the technical craft of pastry, but also the discipline, precision, and creativity that define great cooking.​

When COVID struck and Valbella temporarily closed, Raphael launched a weekend pop-up bakery from the back of the kitchen, selling danishes, chocolates, and macarons. Jack worked alongside him every weekend from March through May, gaining hands-on experience in pastry production and service. ​The pop-up’s success led to the opening of Raphael’s Bakery in December, and Jack helped launch the storefront over the holiday season.

The bakery has since earned recognition as one of the Best of New England.​ He’s incredibly grateful for those early opportunities-and that’s the story behind how Jax Snax began.