My Story
I was born in a family of restaurateurs, and from an early age I was confronted with the doubts, joys and problems that this profession could entail. When I was growing up, my father kept telling me "you'll never do this job, it's a horrible job", if he only knew... But I listened to him, at least for a while.
I've evolved in a family where food was central, where shopping at the market was part of our tradition, where not finishing your plate was frowned upon. Not everything was perfect, but we always saw meals as moments of conviviality and sharing, and good products as treasures of nature.
At the age of 18, like many young adults, I didn't know what to do next. It's a big choice, one that you have to make quickly. The truth is that it’s not easy to know what we want to do “for the rest of our lives”. After completing a Bachelor's degree at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium), I needed a change. I wanted to go somewhere else and to discover new things. So I went on to pursue my Master's degree at Laval University (Quebec, Canada). Three years of discoveries, challenges and encounters. I think it was at the age of 21 that cooking really took a place in my life. For the first time, I had to manage and learn to produce something with my hands. This apprenticeship was therapeutic and allowed me to relax and concentrate on something else. After graduating with a Masters in PR and Strategic Marketing, and working in the field, a big question came up; what do I really love? What do I want to do with my life? And although it took a while, the answer was pretty simple.
In 2023, at the age of 25, I decided to start a degree at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Considered to be the best culinary school in the world, I knew that the apprenticeship would be difficult. But this feeling of being in the right place at the right time is incomparable. Even though the days were long, I never regretted my choice or questioned my career change. I discovered new passions, developed a new way of looking at food, and learnt, learnt and learnt some more. It was the most inspiring and decisive period of my life. And I'm grateful to have been there.
Right now, I aspire to continue my apprenticeship in a Michelin-starred restaurant, while developing projects in parallel. I want to create a plant-based concept, between a supper club and an ephemeral table. A social club that brings people together around food, and allows them to meet each other. I also may want to develop a catering offer, and work with companies that share my values.
My view on food
Like everything else in life, my view of food has evolved over time. I used to see food as simply a means of nourishment. As I grew up, I had the impression that food was always synonymous with extremes. Either you overeat, and are seen as 'eating too much', or you don't eat enough, and are seen as unhealthy. It's as if people outside our lives had to dictate our relationship with food.
Living abroad, I've seen meals turn into a moment of sharing. A moment of conviviality, with my friends, who were also living away from home. Studying until late at night, and having a moment with each other over a simple dish of pasta. Or celebrating victories big and small over brunch on a Sunday morning. It's as if these dishes are a testimony to moments in our lives, allowing us to enjoy them even more.
At the moment, I see food as a whole. Intuitive food, which allows us to nourish ourselves and keep our bodies working, but which also allows us to enjoy ourselves. I'm a great believer in seasonality and the proximity of our ingredients, while allowing myself a few deviations. I'm inspired by Mr Roellinger's vision, and think it's time to take our food out of the hands of the industrialists. After all, food is a treasure to be cared for and protected. For me, a good meal must be synonymous with ethics, respect for people, and empathy. I cannot imagine that we are talking about a good product if it is grown by a hand that is exploited and does not earn an adequate wage. I don't want my plate to include any suffering. I eat and cook plant-based food, which suits me perfectly. But I'm not one to judge other people's eating habits.
I like food that is thoughtful, original, that challenges tradition and, above all, that is a pleasure to the eye and to the taste buds.
