You start an internship in Belgium. Just when you are enjoying your learning journey your restaurant wins a Michelin star. This is what happened to 4 interns last week. Two other interns lived how their restaurant was awarded a second Michelin Star. An experience of a lifetime for 6 Master Talent Foundation students.
The end of November is always an exciting time in Belgian gastronomy. In a period of two weeks Gault&Millau and Michelin launch their early guides. Chefs and Maîtres are always very curious about how these guides will quote the quality of their work. In this very same period the Horeca Expo fair introduces new culinary talent with a range of contests, such as the Belgian Bocuse d’Or Commis Challenge 2017, the finals of the Belgian selection of Bocuse d’Or 2017, the Fish Chef of the year Award and the Young Talent Trophée Auguste Escoffier Benelux.
Students hear about these events during their internships. When they are part of the team that wins a Michelin Star, they experience a unique moment many professionals envy them for. Six students in a Work Based Learning programme at Master Talent Foundation experienced how it feels to win a Michelin Star.
Restaurant Carcasse in Sint-Idesbald was awarded a first Michelin Star. Chef Anthony Snoeck and Manager Harm Hardeman were totally surprised. A thrilling moment for the whole team and especially for our two students, Tommy Le and Seppe Meeus.
Chef Kobe Desramaults is an internship mentor and partner of Master Talent Foundation from the beginning. He had a Michelin Star in his restaurant In De Wulf in Dranouter, which he closed in December 2016. His new project Restaurant Chambre Séparée started in June 2017 in Gent. Food critics love his new concept. Gault&Millau immediately gave him a 17,5/20. Our two interns at Chambre Séparée celebrated together with Chef Kobe Desramaults the Michelin Star he won with this new project.
The second Michelin Star for Chef Michaël Vrijmoed at Restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent is a reward for his culinary evolution and his inspiration for his team. He is a mentor for the whole team. Student Zhang Zhan is a member of the kitchen brigade that won this second star. An epic moment in his 6 months culinary internship in Belgium.
In Roeselare Chef Tim Boury is another rising star in Belgian gastronomy. Together with his young team at Restaurant Boury he develops an intriguing and very refined cuisine, that Michelin also rewarded with a second Michelin Star. For culinary student Pinradee Petcharabul a unique experience and a wonderful final for her internship that ended one week later.
For these mentors it is a joy to share this success with young culinary talents that choose to have their internship in these restaurants. It becomes a true delight when this young talent is inspired by their mentor and they are rewarded for this inspiration. Chef Mathias Maertens of M-Bistro started his career in the team of Chef Tim Boury. In 2017 M-Bistro won a Michelin Star at the same day that his mentor won a second star. We promise a great future for our work based learning students in an internship at Restaurant Hertog Jan***, a hot spot for young talent eager to learn from top chef Gert De Mangeleer.