Daniel Álvarez

Pastry chef at Pastelería Dalua (Elche, Alicante, Spain)

Daniel Álvarez was born into a family that has worked in the world of pastrymaking and confectionery for generations.

He finished his studies at a number of pastrymaking outlets in Spain and France. He entered a number of competitions and was runner-up in Spain in 1998, champion of Europe and America in 2000, and a member of the Spanish team at La Coupe Du Monde De La Patisserie in France in 2005 and 2008, in Lyons.

After a few more years of training he went on to head up Pastelería Dalua in 1998, and was proactive in its development and evolution up to the present day. He is a member of the Cacao Barry chocolate company's team of ambassadors for Spain, and a member of the Relais Desserts Association, an international body defending the values of haute pâtisserie and featuring the 80 best pastrymakers from around the world, where he is one of only six members in Spain.

A lecturer in pastrymaking at a number of schools such as the international Chocolate Academy, he helps train professional pastry chefs and advises companies in Spain and also abroad.