From industrial design to culinary art

Tell us a bit about your background…
The first big stepping-stone to getting where I am now was the internship, where I worked at Les Trois Rois in Basel, Switzerland. I started knowing very little about actually working in the kitchen at that scale, but learned pretty quickly. The team at Les Trois Rois was incredibly helpful, and in those six months I got a pretty good glimpse as to what world I had stepped in the moment I decided to change my career path into pastry.

Why did you choose to study hospitality?
My first bachelor is actually in Industrial Design, which I still love, but a desk job was not ideal for me. Life is short and why not spend your time doing something you love?

 

“So I made a drastic change and went into Pastry. It is an area where you get to be creative and fun but at the same time you have to be precise and detailed, which honestly, I love.”

 

What was the most important skill you learned during your studies?
Everything in the kitchen has to have a system. If you are organized and calm, you can get anything done. Every single post in the kitchen is connected, if one thing or person is off balance, the whole team is going to feel it, which means also that team work is a big part of the job, this goes as much for the kitchen as for service.

Is there a challenging moment that you are especially proud of?
My career has had three major stepping stones, the first step up was graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa where I learned everything about traditional French pastry. The second was being able to study at Culinary Arts Academy in Switzerland where I learned the most about how a kitchen actually functions, and the third was my first actual experience in the kitchen at Les Trois Rois in Basel, where I was able to tie in everything I had learned before, so I can’t possibly have only one highlight because without the base, without the amazing education I had, I would not be where I am today.

What advice would you give a student considering studying hospitality?
Working in the kitchen is all about loving what you do, and having the ability to stand under pressure. If you are going to make the leap and start working in this area, make sure this is what you want, be mentally prepared for long working days and learning how to deal with stress. If you think you can handle all that, hold on because it really is an amazing ride. Your life will be anything but dull, believe me.

How has Culinary Arts Academy helped you to achieve success?
My training at both schools, Le Cordon Bleu and Culinary Arts Academy has allowed me to get where I am today. Le Cordon Bleu taught me the basis of every single recipe and Culinary Arts Academy taught me how an actual kitchen works.

 

“There is a lot more than just cooking or baking that goes into a functioning restaurant or hotel kitchen, and in my experience this is where the Culinary Arts Academy excels.”

 

Your professional philosophy in 3 words
Have a system!