It’s a tradition now at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. Executive Pastry Chef, Jean-Franois Houdr, aka “King of the Castle,” is diligently working day and night perfecting his signature 12-feet rotating holiday Sugar Castle, to be unveiled in the Tower Lobby of The Westin St. Francis on Friday, November 23.
“The creation of the Sugar Castle is truly a labor of love,” says Chef Houdr. “Each year, I begin working on it two months in advance, adding more special touches and details each time. This year’s version promises to be the best yet!” The inspiration to create this one-of-a-kind, grandiose Sugar Castle came from Chef Houdr’s trip to Europe with his family in 2005. While traveling around Bordeaux, the Houdr family visited many remarkable chteaux, particularly Mont Saint Michel and La Cit de Carcassonne, which is one of Europe’s most complete examples of a fortified abbey.
As the Houdr family toured these extravagant castles, his son Henri, age ten, and his daughter, Claudia, age eight, were able to experience an earlier time when royalty once occupied these magnificent castles centuries ago....