The up-and-coming chef from Quebec sold everything to pursue his culinary dream and bought a one-way ticket to Sweden, where he trained at one of the planet’s most prestigious restaurants.
“I sold my bike, I sold my car, I didn’t have an apartment in Quebec. I left with my suitcase, knives, a one-way ticket and I didn’t know when I’d be back,” says Guillaume Leduc, 24, who until recently worked at Bistro B in Paris. He was a sous-chef in a restaurant. At Cartier Avenue, Quebec.
The ambitious young man left for Stockholm a few days ago to start a 3-month internship at Franzen restaurant, the only one in Sweden and one of 140 in the world to have three stars in the prestigious guide Michelin. Its anonymous researchers.
Originally from Rimouski, he had to give up an internship in top restaurants at the end of his student career in Montreal in 2020 due to the pandemic.
That’s why he asked for his own venture, a starred Swedish restaurant specializing in Nordic gastronomy with Japanese inspiration. It worked!
The best
“[C’est un restaurant] I’ve been a longtime admirer and follower on Instagram. I adhere 100% to the chef’s mentality, three-star rigor and all that,” says Mr. Leduc in a calm and confident tone from the Franzen kitchen.
As you might expect, austerity and professionalism reign supreme at this prestigious 23-seat establishment, where a full meal with wine costs nearly 1,200 Canadian dollars per person.
So it’s perfection, nothing less, that is expected and sought after, and every effort is made to deliver an unforgettable experience. “All the little details are considered.”
He learned that the hard way when a cook pointed out to him on his first day on the job that his uniform – which he had been given – had not been laundered. “From that moment on, I ironed my shirts better!” says Guillaume Leduc.
a dream
With the ultimate goal of one day opening his own restaurant, it’s a dream come true for him as he rubs shoulders with the best in his field and the best products in the world.
“To be among these people, at this level of rehab, I wouldn’t have thought to do it a few years ago. That’s for sure.”
For now, he doesn’t know what awaits him after this unpaid internship. His goal: to learn as much as he could and, if possible, attract the attention of management hiring chefs for a new restaurant in Dubai.
“I just go for it and try to stand out and do my best all the time. So I think good things can only happen if that attitude is there.
His former boss couldn’t be prouder of him.
“Guillaume was a kitchen intellectual. […] This is a big step for him. That’s what he wants. That’s what he always wanted. It’s sad because we lose a good employee, but at the same time it’s good for him. That’s what matters, it’s his personal growth,” says chef and owner of Bistro B, François Blaise.
Michelin stars around the world
- 2,787 restaurants with 1 star — “Worth a Stop” Cuisine “Excellent”
- 492 restaurants with 2 stars – “exceptional” cuisine “worth a visit”
- 140 restaurants with 3 stars – “Trip Worth” “Exclusive” Cuisine
- The constellation was born in 1926
- Canada has 20 companies with 1 star, only 1 with 2 stars and none with 3 stars
Source: Michelin Guide website
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