FRANCK PONTAIS

Franck, like all successful chefs, is positively messianic about food! ‘My job is amazing. Of course the hours are long and it’s hard work but it is never a chore. I have no fear of failure and so am always learning and always discovering new ways with food.’

Franck Pontais may not be a celebrity chef, yet, but he has certainly been chef to plenty of celebrities with his background of creating ultimate party food.

Born in Paris in 1972, Franck began his career at just 14. His mother, realising that schoolwork was not his forte, sent him to work as an apprentice at a butchers. After two years with his first qualification in hand, he went Ceproc one of the top French culinary schools in France where he realised he had found his true vocation. Topping his class and picking up awards for national competitions, it was here that he was baptised into the French tradition of Traiteur and learned the art of producing exquisite gourmet food in portable portions.

Time spent in Germany on compulsory French National Service gave him a different view on catering as he cooked for 2000 soldiers. It also helped him to develop the discipline for hard work and perfectionism.

In 1996 he received a life-changing phone call offering him a job at Harrods. Aged 22, he set off immediately with one suitcase and only a handful of English words to throw himself into expanding the Traiteur counter at Harrods. Poached by Selfridges to repeat his Harrods success, he set up a Traiteur counter in both the Oxford Street and Manchester stores and helped to educate the eating habits of customers.

His next move was as a chef for London’s top outside caterer, Rhubarb. He worked for film premiers including James Bond, royal functions and music industry celebrities. He confesses that he hardly recognised many of the celebrities, coming home to wife Jude uttering cryptic descriptions such as ‘the tall man that ran a hotel’ for John Cleese.

In 2004 Franck and Jude set up their own outside catering and events company, Food Creation so successfully, that people change the dates of their events in order to have Franck’s creations served to their guests.

At the end of 2007 Franck started writing his first book and so begins a voyage into new experiences and he can't wait to see where it takes him.