For Pasteau, it is vital to be physically present at his restaurant so as to remain close to his team and continually share his expertise.
Pasteau has been directly active and
working closely with SeaWeb Europe since 2008. This is an environme ntal organisation dealing
with the sustainability and conservation of marine resources. He received the SeaWeb Seafood Champion prize in 2012 and became a
board member in 2013. Earlier
this year he was also elected president of this notable organisation.
He is also president of the alumni
association of the Ferrandi-Paris School of Culinary Arts, where
he also raises awareness about the
importance of protecting marine
resources amongst younger chefs.
He also participates actively in
Synhorcat on the development of
sustainable practices within the
industry.
His love of the sea and the preservation of its resources, visibly equals that of his clientele.
Like all conscientious chefs, he is
clearly determined to provide an
excellent and fully positive dining
experience to all his clients. This
must include meeting clients’ expectations, and yes, even considering the client as king, from the
moment they enter his restaurant.
On the other hand he also believes
that the chef has both the right as
well as a duty to explain his ideas, methods and specific choices of ingredients, to his clients.
Pasteau has no qualms adapting
his dishes to the individual preferences of a customer, however he
will not use ingredients that do
INSIDER SPECIAL EDITION
not concur with his personal convictions. Rather than say using an
unsustainable species of fish upon
a client's request, he would take
the time to explain with purely an
educational approach, why he has
made a better and more informed
choice.
Pasteau has so far managed to work
almost exclusively with wild, but
sustainable fish in all his dishes.
The knowledge that a fish was individually caught by a fisherman,
rather than collected in bulk, is
more conducive to his notions of
fresh and attentive cuisine. Also
with farmed fish, it is much harder
to know what they have been fed,
and what their breeding conditions were like, matters which will
forcibly affect the final dish produced and served to the client.
However he does realise that ever-increasing populations and
demands for such marine products, could very soon result in the
widespread utilisation of farmed
fish in most restaurants, including his own. If and when this does
occur, he will simply continue to
ensure that this fish and seafood
originates from reliable sources,
whose methods are not negatively
impacting the environment.
The man behind the accomplished
cuisine and the determined commitment towards the environment, is a man with sound business principles and commendable
personal values.
For him it is vital to be physically
present at his restaurant so as to remain close to his team and to continually share his expertise with them. He
considers his restaurant to be like his
home, where he must contribute both
in effort and in spirit, to retain the
desired working environment and feel
to the establishment. He also believes
that his constant presence is a crucial
factor in client satisfaction, which
many of his patrons have come to
expect. He takes pride in meeting and
consulting directly with his clients,
personally forming an integral part of
their overall dining experience, a factor which he does not intend to lose.
He is motivated and empowered by
pleasing people and making them
happy, to the extent of even considering cooking as an act of love
towards his customers. Possibly the
only downside he can identify in
his otherwise fulfilling lifestyle, is
the need to wake up at four in the
morning, so as to personally select
the very best fresh produce available each day at the markets. This
is truly an aspect which can have a
disrupting influence on his personal and family life, and is a sacrifice he has to grudgingly endure.
There are few better examples of chefs
who act as an effective catalyst bringing
cuisine and sustainability together.
His vision for the future is firmly
set on the continued sustainability
of marine resources and on the improvement of waste management in
related industries, while continuing
to grow in his amazing profession.
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