ERICHUBERT

GENS/fotoeric-hubert-portrait2.jpg.w180h271.jpg

I was born in 1960 in Brittany, farthest western point of France, even Europe, stretching toward the Atlantic Ocean. But the way to America was still far over, in distance but in time as well.

My parents were running a butcher shop on a nice little harbor, “Plouhinec” along the river “Goyen” , facing another nice little harbor “Audierne”. From Audierne’s ocean aquarium every specialized market and Michelin stars restaurants of the country are supplied with the very expensive and renowned blue lobster over night.

My dad passed away when I was 8. Then I started very early to give a hand to my mom who kept running the business for eleven more years, 15 to 17 hours a day, 7 days a week.

At the age of 16, I started a three-year apprenticeship at "au Fin Gastronome" in Pont_L'Abbé, France, as a charcutier traiteur, then extended it for another year to become a pâtissier , glacier , confiseur, chocolatier, and successfully passed the exam as a freelance candidate.

From there I decided like every other professional to build my curriculum, traveling all around Europe: Switzerland , Austria, Germany, Italy, South of France, Burgundy and even a cruise line company that brought me for the first time in USA in 1980.

Each experience offered me to witness different kinds of operations in the food and hospitality industry, world-renowned enterprises, caterers, five star cruises, three to five star hotels, one to three Michelin star restaurants, bistro and brasseries, family businesses to big corporations.

My different positions went from simple pastry chef to executive and corporate pastry chef to even chef de cuisine in a seafood brasserie.

After 15 years of European experience I felt ready to move on. The opportunity to come to the US came from Mr. Marc Meneau, the star chef of the three Michelin star “L’Espérance”
in Vézelay. I, previously filled the position as the executive pastry chef in his restaurant for two years. He received the offer of being the consultant in a restaurant in NYC for a Japanese company, “Seryna International”, and asked me join him. Mon Cher Ton Ton (the NYC restaurant) received raving reviews from several main editorials like NY Times (Bryan_Miller) and NY Law Journal (Bob Lape).
Across the street from us, a young chef already had made the statement of a new way of approaching food and received top ratings from every critic. Jean Georges Vongerichten was already on his way to the summit. When JO JO opened, Jean Georges offered me to fill up the position to efficiently design for the pastry “department”. Still today, Jo Jo remains my favorite in all aspects.

After almost 2 years with Jean Georges, I wanted to go back in France to help a friend opening his place and take some vacations, spending time in Brittany with family and friends. I was working for the last 15 years or so without taking a real break.

Phone call from the US: “Patria is opening, can you help?!” Of course, let’s go! I consulted five month for the opening of Patria. What a great experience, just to have met Douglas_Rodriguez.

Then Seryna Int. made the decision to open “Otabe”. They called me, we met again and I stayed for two years. I was on my own taking care of the dessert for the Japanese formal dining room and the teppanyaki and steak house style at the other side under the same roof. This part was for me the most interesting because of the dessert/concept: everything prepare in front of you.

At the same time, I consulted for a couple of places like the opening of Typhoon Brewery, helping my good friend James Chew.

For the last 5 ½ years, I worked for Jean Georges again at his new flagship and world-renowned restaurant “Jean Georges” as the executive pastry chef. I ensured to execute very well every one of Jean Georges caprices to straighten the route of this most recent success. I assume that I contributed, in some part surely, to the well being of the operation, because of great perseverance and tenacity and by neglecting stress and fatigue. And of course, the great desserts helped too!

Today, after 27 professional years of hard labor, I still had a great deal of power left. But I wanted to use it for different purposes. The very first, to share knowledge the most as I can with the newcomers in the profession. A first website was one of the steps of this new way of life for myself. Teaching occasionally could be part of it as well. My abilities to cook would also allow me to consolidate my position by proposing my services as a private chef.

But my focus was on consulting. It is a fortunate piece: one of the main resources for the well being of my new activities and gives the opportunity to see new horizons and chance to export, among some others, part of the New York experience.

On the personal side, my passions now drove me to analyse my thoughts and to increase my spiritual wealth. Also I always liked to challenge myself mastering English and to achieve the book I’ve been thinking about, but I'm sure I'll need help to revise the grammar and to adopt the right literature, but before all , to find out what I want to put in it and how.

I’d like to conclude now by giving you “Rendez-vous” on the road and wish to meet you one day. Until then it will be an honor for me if i can meet some of your expectations on this site. The recipes you will find have been effective to me for many years. I will be very receptive to your suggestions if by chance you wish to do so. Thus don’t hesitate to contact me.

Gratefully yours,

______________________________________ Eric

R I C

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________