Growing up in Issaquah, Washington, Donald Wressell credits much of his cooking career to his grandmother. When he was seven, the duo would watch The Galloping Gourmet. Entranced by the flipping, stirring, and sautéing, Wressell decided to become a chef.

As a young adult, he enrolled in the Washington State Chef Association Culinary Program as an apprentice and continued to garner pastry expertise at the Westin Hotel in Seattle. He then moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked at Watergate Pastry and moonlighted at Jean-Louis Palladin, before heading back to the west coast as a pastry chef for the Breakers Hotel Sky Room in Long Beach, California.

In 1986, he worked at the Four Seasons Philadelphia, remembering this as a formative time working with Executive Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix, “who was brilliant with food and people.” In 1987, Wressell was named Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons at Beverly Hills. There, he wooed the hotel’s celebrity clientele with the sweet creations of his hands and humor. While at the Four Seasons, Wressell made the City of Beverly Hills’ 75th Anniversary cake, a gâteau enjoyed by 10,000 people. He continued to mix, frost and pipe at the hotel for 19 years. In 2014, he was invited to lead the project for the Beverly Hills’ 100th birthday cake, this time for 15,000 people. With the help of fifteen pastry chefs and bakers, the cake took eleven weeks to plan and construct in time for a celebration in the middle of Rodeo Drive.

In 2006, Wressell joined San Francisco Bay Area based Guittard Chocolate Company as Corporate Pastry Chef. “I have used Guittard chocolate both professionally and personally and I was thrilled at the opportunity to be the pastry chef for the oldest family-run chocolate company in the U.S. I have always loved working with chocolate; it’s an amazing food with magical qualities.”

Wressell’s accolades are many. In 1998 and 1999, he was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs by Chocolatier Pastry Art & Design magazine and in 2003 he was named Southern California’s Restaurant Writers’ Pastry Chef of the Year. In 1995 he competed at Les Masters du Chocolat. His pastry pedigree also includes “Pastry Chef of the Year” by the Organizing Committee of the 2005 National Pastry Team Championships, as well as recognition from the White House for his work with the U.S. Pastry Team.

Wressell’s résumé is marked by his involvement in domestic and international pastry competitions. As team captain during the 2011 National Pastry Team Championship, he led his team to a Gold medal and First Place in Degustation. In 2012, while he was team captain at the World Pastry Championship, his team was awarded the Silver medal and First Place in Degustation.

In addition, Wressell has represented Team USA seven times at the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie, as a competitor, team captain, coach, manager and jury member. As team captain in 1995, he led his team to a Bronze (the first medal won by Team USA at that time). In 1999, he helped Team USA win the Bronze as a first-time coach/manager, and in 2001, helped the team win its first (and only) Gold medal to date. In 2003, he was Chairman/Coach/Manager/Judge with Team USA placing 4th, and in 2005, he was Team Captain as Team USA winning Bronze. Most recently, he was Coach/Manager for Team USA took home the Bronze at the 2015 Coupe du Monde.

He has also made many television appearances: The Challenge Series, Coupe Du Monde, and Pastry Team Championship documentaries on the Food Network; Entertainment Tonight; The Roseanne Show, Robin Leach’s Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous, Access Hollywood, This Morning with Charles Smith and Paula Zahn, Good Morning America and Chuck Henry’s Travel Cafe.

Today, Wressell continues to develop recipes using Guittard Chocolate and does speaking engagements, conducts demonstrations, participates in international competitions and leads his signature “Guest Chef Series” classes at the Guittard Chocolate Studio in Los Angeles. Currently, he serves as the Training Operations Director for Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA in preparation for the 2027 competition. When he’s not in the kitchen or masterminding the design and production of a larger-than-life birthday cake, he derives great pleasure in his own kitchen and woodworking workshop.

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