A fresh start

I'm back in London for over 2 months now and I can finally say I got everything back on the rails. It took me a while to think my options trough concerning a new job. I did some trails and had some nice offers from several Michelin star restaurants but when my old chef who I was working under at the dorchester contacted me to be his right hand in this new venue he was opening I felt that was the way to go.



The Arts Club is the name, a beautiful building full of contemporary art and by boosting an underground club, an incredible busy restaurant, a beautiful garden and several lounge areas for afternoon tea, this is the new hotspot for the london's rich and famous.



The nice thing is that it's a new place, a new opening, a new set up and so a fresh start for everybody involved. As the right hand of my chef I get the chance to be creative and make new desserts for the restaurant or new pastries for the afternoon tea witch I love but off course it needs to be done within the philosophy of the arts club, which is "simple but good". The desserts for the restaurant are all brilliantly executed classics. Like a beautiful lemon tart, a Rum baba and in my opinion an amazing apple tart. So no fancy gadgets but just honest good classic desserts which is a good thing so you learn how to master the basics of good pastry. Because to be honest it's not the first time I meet a pastry chef who knows how to make a microwave sponge cake but does not even know how to make a nice île flotante.



We just finished setting up for afternoon tea witch looks amazing. Everything is made by us in the pastry, even the sandwiches. The English classic "pickled cucumber"sandwich, pumpernickel bread with smoked salmon and horseradish cream, Sesame seed brioche with egg salad and a light brown levain bread with quince compote, iberico ham and manchego cheese are al made by us.



The afternoon tea pastries are a hazelnut and lemon religieuse, a frangnipan strawberry tart with mascarpone cream, a mango and coconut bar and chocolate financier with a milk chocolate mouse and mandarin marmalade. And off course no afternoon tea in London without fresh baked scones by our baker, served with clotted cream and home made strawberry jam.



So the only thing I can say is that thing are going great, and that their is more comming, but like always i will keep you guys updated!