Australian Gourmet Traveller - (07)July 2020 (1)

56 GOURMET TRAVELLER

B

akingwasnotmyinitialpassion,andit wasn’tmyfirst

livelihoodeither.WhenI wasyoung,growingupinFrance,

I alwayslovedcookingandpreparingmealsusingcookbooks

fromiconicFrenchchefslikeAlainDucasse,JoëlRobuchon

andMichelGuérard.Myparentstookmetobeautifulrestaurants,and

I lovedhavingconversationswiththechefsafterwards.I’vealwaysbeen

fascinatedbythecraftsmanshipofcooking.

Aftermylastyearofhighschool,I decidedI wantedtogotoculinary

schoolinParis.ButI felta lotofpressurefrommyfamilyandfriendsto

dosomethingelse.Cookingwasnotencouraged– it wasallaboutgoing

touniversity.SoI wentandstudiedfinanceandlawinstead.I passedthe

barexaminParisandwentonthepracticeasa taxandbusinesslawyer

• fiveyearsinFranceandthreeyearshereinAustralia.I don’tregretit
  atallbecauseit gavemetheopportunitytotravelandstillgotoexcellent
  restaurants.Eventuallythough,I gottoa pointwhereI foundgoingto
  restaurantsfrustrating.I wasinthediningareabutwhatI reallywanted
  wastobeinthekitchen.It finallygottoa pointwheregoingto
  restaurantswastoohard– it wassostrange.
  Inmylate20s,I decidedI neededtomakea change– I wasdesperate.
  WhenI wasinmyofficeandworking,I wasunhappy.I wouldcomehome
  fromworkandit wasinthe 30 minutespreparingmydinnerwhenI’d
  forgeteverythingelse.It wasmymeditation.I wantedtoworkouthow
  I coulddothiseveryday– nomoreSundaynightblues,ormental
  exhaustionandemotionalfatigue.
  Finally,I decidedtosendanemailtoGuillaumeBrahimi’spersonal
  assistant.TwoweekslaterI gota replysayingthechefwasgoingtobeat his
  restaurantforanotherhourandthatI couldcomeandhavea coffeewith
  him.It was3 o’clockintheafternoon,soI cancelledallmymeetingsand
  racedtogeta cab.I methimandsaid,“I knowI’mnotyoungbutI need
  tochangemycareer– whatdoI do?”Hethenexplainedhewasopening
  a newrestaurantintwomonths,andsuggestedI comeandworkthere.
  It wasprobablyoneofthebestdaysofmylife.
  Brahimigavemea chance– andI workedforhimforsevenmonths,
  thenwentbacktoFrancetostudyattheculinaryschoolI hadalways
  wantedtogoto.ThenI workedina threeMichelin-starredkitchen.
  I workedinthepastryandlardersection,whicheventuallyledmeto
  openupmyownbusinessbackinAustralia,Sacrebleu.Webakecanelés,
  Madeleines,meringuesandcroquantsauxAmandes.Seeingpeople
  enjoytheseis morerewardingthananybonusinthecorporateworld.
  Usually, youcan’tchangetheworldina fewminutes,butI’mglad
  thatemailsetmeona coursetochangemylife.Mymentalhealthis so
  muchbetterforthat.Mymeditationis whenI’mcooking.It’salmost
  likeI forgetwhatI amdoingbecauseI’msoimmersedin it. It’s like
  a treasure – you find it and you just want to keep it.

ADRIEN BOCHEL

OWNER, SACREBLEU

I gottoa pointwhere

I foundgoingtorestaurants

frustrating.I wasinthe

dining areabutwhat

I reallywanted wasto

be in the kitchen.

PHOTOGRAPHY JUDE COHEN.