Vinesh Johny is Asia’s top pastry chef, Forbes Under 30 Asia 2016. CNN 20 under 40 and Expert for WorldSkills India. As co-founder of Lavonne Academy of Baking Sciences & Pastry Arts, India’s first international baking academy. How you become a chef and why? It was back during my hotel management days, when I realized my love & passion for pastry arts. After graduating from culinary school, I went on to work with The Oberoi Group of Hotels and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, in various capacities within the realm of Pastry. Every experience I have had during university, internships and my hotel days, through the people I have met and worked with has only helped in strengthening the bedrock of passion I have towards baking and pastry art. More than anything, I absolutely love what I do, and my love only grown stronger each day! What message you want to give to young chefs out there? If you are looking at being a part of the baking world, it surely means that you have already been inspired in the past and you have developed a certain degree of passion for the craft. This in itself is amazing and I am sure it has set the foundation for all the glory you will receive in the days to come. However, it is extremely imperative that you solidify your dreams and aspiration with some formal education and learning. The initial investment made in educating yourself will surely take you a long way in understanding the art, the chemistry of ingredients and the science involved. Education will also help you understand the fundamentals of basic subjects like storage, safety, hygiene, shelf life, costing, entrepreneurship, etc. Learning never stops. Therefore, my only advise to all is to constantly keep learning. How you explain your style of cooking? I usually look for and incorporate lesser known but intriguing flavours & ingredients. It is imperative that the final product compliments every flavour profile and must surely have a balance of the right textures. Some sponge, a little mousse, jelly and most importantly the crunch. There is also a lot of focus on the finish and garnish. The cakes and pastries are mostly modern, stylish & luxe. #FINEDININGINDIAN | 06 JUNE 2019
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