LAGNIAPPE
Cherish Finden plans to bring elements from her native Singapore to more than just the menu at Pan Pacific London , opening in early 2021 . Over the past 30 years , Finden has worked at hotels in Singapore and London , and served as a creative development chef at a renowned chocolatier .
HOTELS : How do you plan to bring Singaporean elements to Pan Pacific London ’ s pastry program ?
Cherish Finden : I am very happy to be working for a Singaporean brand so I can bring even more of my heritage to my pastries . Traditional afternoon tea in the United Kingdom focuses more heavily on sweet offerings , but I want to create a perfect balance of savory and sweet , incorporating traditional — but playful — Singaporean flavors . I can ’ t wait to play with some of my favorite ingredients such as galangal , goji berries , basil seeds and bubble tea to inject flavor into the pastries . Family has always been very important to me and is central to Singapore culture . I work my team like a family ; I want everyone to think about and care for one another .
H : How has COVID-19 changed your field ?
CF : It will change all of food and beverage . We need to make sure our guests feel comfortable and are aware of the measures we ’ ve taken to create their pastries in a clean , safe environment . Packaging is also key so that people have the option to take away .
H : What ’ s a typical day like ?
CF : I wake at 5:30 a . m . and am usually at work by 7:15 a . m . I like being the first in the kitchen because it ’ s a lot quieter , and I use this time to organize . I look at the day ’ s reservations , making sure I ’ m aware of all the dietary requirement and any notes for special occasions . I like making these celebrations special . My team usually comes in around 8 a . m . and we meet so I can make sure everyone knows what they are doing . I also do a lot of tastings throughout the day . I find training very important ; my sous chefs are extensions of me , so they always know exactly what I am looking for and what I like or dislike . I ’ m a very hands-on chef .
CHERISH FINDEN
EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF PAN PACIFIC LONDON
Contributed BY ERIN SUND
H : What do you think people sometimes misjudge about being a pastry chef ?
CF : They don ’ t understand that the pastry chefs don ’ t sleep ; I think all the time and am up very early … It ’ s also not just baking . Everything I create will be eye-catching and intriguing with great attention to detail , but you need to be able to promote your products now that everyone has access to social media . Chefs also need to understand profit and loss . It ’ s more than making good food — we also need to make money .
64 hotelsmag . com September / October 2020