ABOUT
my story
It all started in my grandma's kitchen...
Since I was a young kid, after my half days at school, I would go over to my grandparents’ house to spend the rest of the day with them while my parents were away at work. I would always volunteer to bake with my grandma. From young age, I was already changing her recipes! When my mom went on leave for the birth of my sister, we spent a lot of time together in the kitchen, both at home and at the community cooking classes. This really allowed me to cement my love for the kitchen. As the years went by, I would continue to bake and learn new techniques.
When I entered high school, my love for the kitchen and pastry probably tripled. My high school had a culinary program, allowing me to graduate with a Specialist High Skills Major (specialist designation on high school diploma) in Hospitality and Tourism – Culinary Arts. I took four culinary arts courses, one restaurant management course, and a few additional courses that helped me understand the Hospitality and Tourism industry as a whole.
This really enabled me to successfully apply for a Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology. After four years of post-secondary studies in Hospitality and Tourism, two internships in pastry, and being surrounded by classmates who were following their dreams, I decided I needed a change.
Two years later, I started my first class at École Ducasse – École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie, in Yssingeaux, France. After six months of intensive studies in pastry, I graduated with a Diploma in French Pastry Arts and carried on to my internship at the Sainte-Barbe Hôtel & Spa MGallery. Now, I am currently a pastry cook at the Cures Marines Hotel & Thalaso MGallery, continuing my dream of being immersed in French pastry.
Years of Experience
Having started in professional kitchens when I was 13, allowed me to gain valuable experience in the way a kitchen works and grow from a young age.
Years of Education
With over 6 years of education, I’e attained a Specialist High Skills Major (High School) in Hospitality and Tourism – Culinary Arts, a Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management (Co-op), and a Diploma in French Pastry Arts.
My Values
Slow
Slow food is the base of all food as we know it. Even 100 years ago, there was no Instant Pot or McDonald’s. Bread was made by hand and dry yeast was not even around until the 1940s. I concentrate on the traditional ways of making food, where flavour development is innate.
Handmade
Handmade food is what gives you an edge over everyone else. I have been handmaking my food since I was eight and have no plans to stop. Buying a pie shell from the store or buying a loaf of bread are not part of my vocabulary. I take personal responsibility for showing you how to make the best handmade food.
Sustainable
Sustainability is a very important pillar of food production. Ensuring that what we are growing, using, and consuming is done in a sustainable way so that future generations (or our own generation) are able to continue to benefit from it. It is also important that we ensure that all humans are able to get equal access to a necessity of life, food.
Some images on this page were taken by and copyright Suzanne McCarthy and used under exclusive licence.