Letter by the Chef

Dear reader

My name is Georgios Pandis. I’m a private chef living in the French Riviera and this is my story.

My trip begins back in 2014 when after 2 years of military service I left my home country Cyprus with the enormous curiosity to explore every corner of this earth.

After spending a year in Greece, my next destination was the Netherlands where I had my first contact with a professional kitchen. As a young and broke Cypriot man, desperate for a job, I walked in to a Spanish tapas bar asking for any type of work. Not surprisingly, a week later I found myself next to a dishwashing machine washing and cleaning piles and piles of dishes.

Soon I’ve started having an unexpected connection with that place called kitchen. The noice, the intensity, the people around screaming in combination with the fascination to me at the time lifestyle of a hospitality worker has won my attention. Gladly the chef noticed my curiosity and had me moved to the grill after a few months.

My contact with the industry was about to take another unexpected turn with my solo trip to the Caribbean. In a research to find my purpose in this world, I ended up in the French speaking island of Guadeloupe. Once again broke and alone, and once again, cooking came to the rescue .

Working in a big 4-star hotel now I got the chance to meet chefs from all over the world and hear their stories about crazy winter seasons in the alps and the summer jobs in exotic islands. My passion was growing.

2019 finds me back in Holland. Confused and struggling to finish my studies as a musician. And then … Covid.

After another few month working in a local pizzeria, it hit me! I want to go to France and become a private chef! My colleagues thought I lost it. But this is what I wanted to do and I had to do it right this time.

Next stop was the prestigious cooking school Gastronomicom in the south of France. An experience that I will be always grateful for. Right after was an internship in the 5-star hotel Vallon de Valrugues in the historical village of St Rémy de Provence, the greatest lesson. And then I felt it. It was time to do what I came here to do.

Today, I’m proud to say that I succeeded what I was dreaming of. Being a private chef is something I enjoy from the bottom of my heart. Not just the food I get to prepare but also the people I meet and the places I get to see. Sometimes, I feel  more like an explorer or travelling artist than a chef. It’s beautiful how life takes us into some directions so unexpectedly.

And the best part is, we don’t know what’s next.

Sincerely,

G.P.