I did 3 years of « savoury » before switching to pastry. I was 16 by then and the only idea I had in mind was to learn the most, the fastest. I spent two years at « Le Castellas ** » in south of France with the chef Jerôme Nutile (MOF « Meilleur Ouvrier de France »), before starting at « Le Chalet de la Forêt ** », and then « Le Bristol » in Paris with Laurent Janin. A while after, I recieved a call from Pascal Devalkenneer (Le Chalet de la Forêt**) telling me that he was looking for a Pastry chef. That was an offer I couldn’t refuse. So I came back to Belgium.
4.What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the industry at the moment ?
For me, the biggest challenge is to keep working with the same ingredients each season but going deeper and further with the creation. Finding always a new way to surprise the customer. Think of the impossible and making it possible !
5.What do you see as a possible solution to the growing shortage of chefs ?
We are in a world where you can get anything you want whenever you want (with social media, internet, etc.). So I believe the younger generation lose patience and want to achieve the greatest position, the faster the better. But I believe they are jumping steps. It’s a tough job, long hours, but if you do it with passion you lose track of time. Being a chef is not easy, it takes years, but its worth the wait !