Julien Alvarez comes from a family with links to gastronomy, and took up cooking after his baccalauréat. Initially attracted to cooking, he discovered pastry-making thanks to a talented pastry chef in Bergerac. After a four-year apprenticeship, he worked in Barcelona before joining the Pâtisserie des Rêves in Paris, then working as an instructor at the Bellouet Conseil school. His career led him to become head pastry chef at the Peninsula Hotel and Café Pouchkine. At the request of Éric Fréchon, he became Pastry Chef at the Bristol in Paris. After four years, he became Ladurée's International Executive Chef. At the same time, Julien Alvarez excels in competitions, winning the World Pastry Cup with the Spanish team in 2011.