Andrew Fairlie Scholarship 2024
Meet the Finalists - Patryk Kasperek
Chef de Partie, Fingal
Where are you from originally, where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I am originally from Poland and grew up in a small town called Starogard Gdanski in the South of Poland, I currently live in Edinburgh.
What inspired you to apply for the scholarship?
I love cooking and the experience of the scholarship will help to increase my confidence, cooking skills and social networking with likeminded people. Also, I want to progress and push myself to be a great chef, so this scholarship is a pathway to working in Michelin starred kitchens.
Have you always wanted to be a chef, what made you choose this career?
Yes, I always wanted to be a chef since I was a child. My family has an orchard and a vegetable small holding. My grandparents and parents always looked after the small holding where we grew seasonal vegetables for our family. My childhood memories around this are full of joy and love for fresh produce. I have very fond memories of my childhood picking peapods, opening them straightaway with my fingers and eating the sweet peas, or eating strawberries or tomatoes from the plant, quite often getting in trouble for doing so!
Cooking was a part of life, my grandmother was a chef, when I started as a kitchen steward when I first arrived in Scotland it felt natural to move into a Commis role when the position arose.
What do you love about working as a chef?
Working as chef brings many challenges and variety to my day which I enjoy, our kitchen is continuously evolving which keeps me alert, disciplined and focused. Being tenacious, focusing on the execution of dishes and their components, and striving for perfection brings great fulfilment.
What is your favourite ingredient to work with and why?
Because of my upbringing in Poland, around the fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables I would say that those are my favourite ingredients. I admire Chefs like Alain Prassard and Mauro Collagreco for the way they cook and treat vegetables.
What are your hopes for your future career as a chef?
I want to keep progressing, developing my skills to be a great chef. My goal is to work with the very best chefs and in the very best kitchens to learn and develop my professional career as a chef.