A pâtisserie (pronounced [pɑtisʁi]) is a type of French or Belgian bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets, as well as a term for these types of food, in English often used without the accent. In both countries, it is a legally controlled title that may only be used by bakeries that employ a licensed maître pâtissier in French, meester banketbakker in Dutch, Konditormeister in German (master pastry chef ). In Dutch often the word banketbakkerij is used for the shop and banketgebak for the product.
In France and Belgium, the pâtissier is a pastry chef who has completed a lengthy training process, typically an apprenticeship, and passed a written examination. Often found in partnership with a boulangerie in French, bakkerij in Dutch, Bäckerei in German ( bakery ), pâtisseries are a common sight in towns and villages in France and Belgium. Cakes and other sweet foods can be bought at a pâtisserie.
