Art can be found across the culinary spectrum, but no one does it like our nominees for Pastry Chef of the Year in the 2025 Tastemaker Awards.
These renowned pastry chefs achieve the impossible every day, combining the nostalgia of classic sweet treats like doughnuts with the discernment of choosing the perfect local flour or an unheard-of flavor combination. Our judges looked at practical everyday bakes next to flights of fancy in choosing the best of the best.
Find out who wins Pastry Chef of the Year on May 8 at the 2025 Tastemaker Awards party at Fair Market. We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated restaurants and sip cocktails from our sponsors before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony.
You can keep up with all the Tastemaker Award nominees in a special editorial series, then be sure to buy your tickets to see who triumphs. And, don't forget to vote in the Best New Restaurant tournament.
Here are the nominees for Pastry Chef of the Year:
Abby Love, Abby Jane Bakeshop
Abby Love is an industry veteran baker whose bread and pastries are highly regarded for their whole grain flavor. But you can’t go wrong with her savory offerings like breakfast sandwiches or quiches. In September 2024, she added soft serve ice cream and slushies to her menu, proving her versatility knows no bounds.
Amanda Rockman, Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop
Amanda Rockman skyrocketed to fame in Austin’s pastry scene as the executive pastry chef of New Waterloo hospitality group, and her solo bakeshop was a highly anticipated career milestone when it opened in October 2024. The consistently sold-out pastries speak for themselves, but we’re suckers for a perfectly flaky kouign-amann.
Ariana Quant, Uchi
The executive pastry chef across all Uchi restaurants in 2020, Ariana Quant is bringing pastry excellence to an empire where most people are only thinking about raw fish. She's always innovating within each restaurant’s dessert program, like combining unique flavors like a shoyu anglaise and gomo shio (a sesame salt seasoning) to create Uchibā’s crispy fried tteokbokki.
Derrick Flynn, Bar Toti, Suerte, Este
The impeccable lineup of desserts at Bar Toti, Suerte, and Este don’t just look great for the ‘gram; they also taste absolutely divine, as long as you can bring yourself to stop admiring them. Executive pastry chef Derrick Flynn takes inspiration from his Filipino background to create these mouthwatering desserts at Fermín Núñez’s signature restaurants.
Jam Sanitchat, Gati
Jam Sanitchat first became known for her savory cooking at Thai Fresh, but Gati Ice Cream has gone from a side project to one of the chef’s greatest accomplishments. Everything on the menu is gluten-free and almost everything is vegan. Made with a coconut base, the ice cream is the main event, showcasing unique flavors like Thai tea, pandan, and coconut ash.
Sarah Foremski, Custard Prison
Unexpected doughnuts are always a delight, but Sarah Foremski’s pop-up pączki (Polish doughnut) shop took things to the next level. After winning an Eater award for Best New Pop-Up in 2024 and becoming a monthly regular at brunch spot Paperboy, Foremski has packed up the operation recently and decided to move to Pittsburgh. Her goodbye note assures Austinites she’ll be back with more pączki from time to time.
Sarah Lim, OMG Squee
A Queer Eye makeover was only a blip on Austin's radar for Sarah Lim and OMG Squee, a kawaii sweets shop specializing in mochi donuts and swirled soft serve. Whether it’s a donut dressed up as a My Neighbor Totoro character or an absolutely unique honey matcha and Mexican chocolate ice cream swirl, these desserts are always ready for the spotlight.
Tiffany DeJesus, Dai Due
Dai Due is having a huge year or two with Michelin recognition and more acclaim, and Tiffany DeJesus is keeping things fresh on the pastry side. She’s subject to the same constantly changing ingredients as the rest of Dai Due, resulting in creative decisions like Rye puff pastry, cookies made with roadside lemons, and a tart marking Poteet strawberry season.
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The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored by The Yuengling Company, Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hornitos, Texas Beef Council, PicMe Events, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds benefitsCentral Texas Food Bank.
