Patrick Vitry : Cooking is a Second Skin for this French Chef

Transmitting his ‘savoir faire’ and his passion for cooking: This is the aim of French chef Patrick Vitry who has settled down in Mauritius since 1999. Consultant and trainer at the Atelier des Sens Co. Ltd, the Chef shares with us his successful pathway and why he trusts we should encourage our youth to embrace vocational careers. 

Cooking and baking is a family affair in the Vitry family. Patrick shares that his great grand-father and his grand-father were both in the culinary field and he has followed in their footsteps. “Growing up in this world had an impact on me and motivated me to pursue the same pathway. I did my training in bakery for three years, then in pastry and after that, I felt in love with cooking. As a youngster, I also had a zeal for competitions. I won the grand prize of creativity in bakery   organised by the ‘Grands Moulins de Paris’ for a champagne bread I created and I also grabbed the ‘Laurier d’Or Européen’ for the creation of a croustade,” said the chef, who grew up and did his training in Montpellier, France. His only regret is not to have grabbed a Michelin Star. 

It is in 1999 that Patrick came to Mauritius. “The Domaine Les Pailles was in search for an Executive Chef and I decided to apply. After being hired, I decided to settle down in the island. From there, I gradually moved up the ladder and became Operations Manager. I was then contacted by the Académie Nationale de Cuisine of Paris, France, to represent them in the Indian Ocean. The aim of the Academy is to promote the products, the young talents, and the culinary vocation. It’s been four years now since I’ve become the President of the Academy in the Indian Ocean in addition to presiding the Académie Internationale des Chefs in the Indian Ocean,” he shares.

The culinary vocation has been and is still in the frontline with shows like Top Chef, Master Chef and many others."

Patrick, however, always wanted to train the youth and transmit his know-how to them. This is why he joined the Atelier des Sens Co. Ltd, found in Quatres Bornes, some six years back. “It is the company which best represents values of the vocation that are dear to me. I’ve taken up the role of a consultant and a trainer at the atelier. The culinary world and job have greatly evolved since the past years. Long ago, there was real communication and sharing between the master and the student. I wanted to give up several times when I was young but my master was always there to encourage me and to push me forward. We also had to prove that we were worth doing this job. I believe that it is what has allowed many to embrace this vocation at that time.”

The importance of knowledge transmission 

For Chef Vitry, there has been too much mediatisation around the culinary vocation since the past five years. “The culinary vocation has been and is still in the frontline with shows like Top Chef, Master Chef and many others. Many people, especially the youth, are attracted by what they see on TV but they are not conscious that their reality is totally different. This vocation demands a lot from you.” He explains that lots of company hire young people just to fill in the gaps of the decreasing workforce. The latter wonders what has happened to the importance of the training. 

“It is a vocation that demands apprenticeship. What has happened to the master’s coaching and mentoring role? One can be a very good professional but a bad coach and mentor. It is all about encouraging, supporting and educating young people. For example, if a young employee has only been peeling carrots for six months, he/she will definitely not be motivated to pursue a career in this field. To encourage him/her, we just have to increase the salary. The person is thus more attracted to the salary than the job itself. Why not teach him/her do something new every day? In our vocation, each and every action or gesture has its relevance,” utters the Chef. 

Patrick Vitry trusts that many professionals in the field do not want to share their know-how either due to selfishness, to their ego or by fear that the person will become more successful than him/her. “If one has not learned and has not had training, he/she will only replicate what he/she has seen. It is unfortunate that the knowledge transmission and communication between the coach and the learner has disappeared today, not only in Mauritius but even in France and in other countries around the world. We will incur a very high price tag due to this in the future because we are preparing the next generation.” He advises the masters to learn significant values that are needed in the vocation, namely how to communicate and respect their students. “They should move on from the old fashion ways that there are secret recipes that they cannot share with their students.”

The Chef highlights that there is an urgency to review the pedagogical methods that are employed to educate our young people in the vocational field, especially in the culinary field. “The training institutions and the trainers must work hand in hand. Many youths face social problems and often have to give up on their training because they have to bring home a salary. But who is there to encourage them not to give up? The authorities certainly have put up measures in place but instead of just stating what they have put in place, they should say how to implement these measures. We should also re-educate the coach themselves.”

A promising vocation for the youth

Chef Patrick Vitry states that there are lots of career prospects in the culinary field. However, he underlines that training institutions should not only focus on theory but also on practice. “I often come across young people who come to our institution who have learned only in theory but not done it in practice. They are not encouraged to taste and learn how to identify the distinct flavours. How can this be done in a skilled vocation like ours? In Mauritius we have the privilege to have so many spices and are able to mix them. It is vital to teach the youth how to balance flavours. We should also promote our wonderful local products and our local dishes that have been forgotten.”

He agrees that many are attracted to work on cruise ships, as there are good paying jobs and they can travel the world. “Working on a cruise ship will definitely help to build one’s character and acumen, as you are away from your family and the working hours and shifts are long. However, you will do the same gestures and things over for the entire six months. There is no room for learning new things and new techniques and no room for creativity.” 

He advises the youth not to give up on their dreams and to focus on what they want to do. “They should not do training here and there. They should stay in one field until they have fully mastered the skills. It is a step by step learning. Only then should they move to another field such as pastry or bakery, among others. They should set up their objectives and work towards it. This will help them to plan their career wisely. I also believe that foundation courses are a must and act as a guideline.” He explains that the youth must make sure that the training institution he/she chooses has three important criteria, namely the total training hours, the programme offered and the competency level of the trainer. 

The Chef underlines that illiteracy is also an issue in Mauritius and in such vocational jobs. “Unfortunately, many talented youths who are made for this vocation do not know how to read and write. Our society must become conscious of this issue. For example, at the atelier, we have had volunteers who came to teach those youths.” Asked about the recent free tertiary education announcement, the Chef trusts that this measure will surely help those who do not have the means to pursue a decent career.

Patrick Vitry reveals that the Atelier des Sens Co. Ltd is the only training institution which often welcomes chefs of international reputation. “We enable our students to meet and connect with these renowned starred chefs as well as local chefs. We work together with hotels around the island. This February, for example, we will be welcoming a starred chef from a five-star hotel in the Cote d’Azure for an event. Seven star Chefs will be in Mauritius in March for a public event, among whom Alain Ducasse will be present. The Atelier will also be collaborating on the Festival International Kreol.”