F & B : Chefs to watCh
Antoine Perray executive cHef , pAlAis nAmAskAr , mArrAkecH , morocco Antoine Perray ’ s career has taken him throughout the world , from Paris to Corsica to China , but for the past two years he has set up shop in Marrakech , leading the F & B team at one of the Oetker Collection ’ s prestigious hotels .
age : 32 hometown : Caen , France
education : Institut Consulaire d ’ Enseignement Professionnel , Caen , France
“ Humility .”
– Lauren CaLLighen , regent PaLms turks and CaiCos
“ A lot of work , A love of tHAt work , continuous improvement , A teAspoon of HAppiness And A good teAm Around me .”
– Petar obad , hoteL exCeLsior
“ do wHAt mAkes you HAppy no mAtter tHe stArting pAy . if you HAve fun , tHe success will come nAturAlly .”
– derek simCik , the goodLand , a kimPton hoteL
“ i AlwAys put pressure on myself to improve .”
– FranCois Perret , shangri-La hoteL , Paris
Career highlights : Serving as sous chef at Plaza Athénée Paris for Alain Ducasse at age 22 ; exploring a different culture , different products and different people as chef de cuisine at MGM Macau
Why you work at a hotel : “ I am always chasing the best — that ’ s why Palais Namaskar was a premium choice for me .”
biggest challenge as a chef : “ The training of our staff , since there is not a really good apprenticeship program here in Morocco . We have to teach the staff everything from the beginning .”
Why you became a chef : “ Perfecting my cooking has been a passion of mine since an early age .”
Where you want to be in 10 years : “ Where life would like to bring me .”
SecretS to SucceSS How did tHese up-and-coming cHefs get wHere tHey are today ?
“ As long As HArd work And pAssion Are involved AnytHing is possible .” – James Pare , the savoy
“ love wHAt you do .”
– marCeLa Jongezoon , Casa PaLoPo
Francois Perret
HeAd pAstry cHef , sHAngri-lA Hotel , pAris Francois Perret leads a team of 17 chefs dedicated to producing the finest desserts for one of the most prominent hotels in Paris , but he still likes to bring a sense of whimsy to his creations when he can , fusing chocolate and wasabi , avocado and wild strawberries or celery and raspberries .
age : 34 hometown : Bourg-en-Bresse , France
education : Apprentice pastry chef at Pâtisserie André ( CEPROC school at Bourg-en-Bresse ); vocational training in confectionary and pastry , chocolate and ice-cream making and diploma in onthe-spot preparation of individually served desserts
Career highlights : Serving as a commis pastry chef at Hotel Meurice in Paris ; working his way up to assistant head pastry chef at Hotel George V in Paris ; working as head pastry chef alongside Michel Troisgros at Hotel Lancaster in Paris
Why you work at a hotel : “ To work at a hotel gives you the opportunity to explore all your competencies as a pastry chef . My pastries for teatime will be different from the pastries I create for the gastronomic restaurant . Sometimes you have to produce in large quantities , and sometimes your creation has to be tailor-made .”
biggest challenge as a chef : “ Managing the opening of Shangri-La Hotel , Paris . I had to recruit a team to create a wide variety of pastries for all the hotel ’ s different outlets .”
Why you became a chef : “ To share my creative ideas and my passion .”
Where you want to be in 10 years : “ I do not have a precise idea at this stage . I hope things will happen naturally .”
54 HOTELS July / August 2014 www . hotelsmag . com