As a child, I told my parents I was going to become a chef when I was only four years old. They thought I was joking, but 11 years later, I started my first apprenticeship. I spent a lot of time with my mum in the kitchen, where she taught me all the basics of cooking and baking.

My mother’s beef roulades filled with pickles, bacon and sausage, served with spaetzle and red cabbage.

I began my first apprenticeship at 15 in Germany’s oldest Michelin-starred restaurant, Adler in Häusern, in the Black Forest. It’s an iconic institution for culinary training.

I moved to Gmeiner in Appenweier near Strasbourg for a second apprenticeship, where I learned everything about pastry. I stayed there for three years before moving to Hamburg and, after that, I had the opportunity to work at my first three-star Michelin restaurant, Restaurant Überfahrt at Tegernsee, under Christian Juergens. I spent four years there, starting as a demi chef and eventually becoming the executive pastry chef. I then joined the two-star Schanz Restaurant in Mosel as an executive chef, where we earned a third star, an incredible honour. From there, I moved to London to work as the executive pastry chef at the fantastic restaurant led by Hélène Darroze before joining The Ned.

It was a tremendous honour to work for such a powerful figure in the culinary world. Darroze is a role model with exceptionally refined taste. I learned a great deal during my time with her, and alongside Marco Zampese, her executive chef. The menu changes monthly, which presents a unique challenge, keeping everyone on their toes and always thinking creatively.

The Ned offers an incredible atmosphere with a diverse selection of restaurants. From a guest’s perspective, it’s like a luxury fairground – you could stay for weeks and never eat at the same restaurant twice. There’s live music daily, magicians performing table-side, and so much to experience. From a pastry chef’s perspective, it’s an immense opportunity to oversee ten unique restaurants, each with distinct needs and guest preferences. I enjoy the challenge and creative freedom this provides, from classic British desserts to Italian, Californian, and even fine dining desserts at The Parlour. My team of 20 pastry chefs are highly talented and supportive.

Ideas often come to me at unexpected times. I like using unique ingredients and minimal sugar. I can’t force creativity; sometimes, I note an idea and return to it later. My most memorable inspiration struck during my first visa interview, where a particular smell sparked the idea for a chocolate and chicken skin dessert. It was so distracting I had to restart the interview process. For the dessert menus across The Ned, I wanted to create something simple yet exciting and surprising.

I love making Christstollen. Not only is it my favourite Christmas treat, but it also requires precise attention to detail – temperature, humidity, proofing and baking all play a role. Stollen demands knowledge, intuition, and care, which makes it incredibly rewarding to perfect.

One of my favourite places is Kiku in Mayfair, one of London’s oldest Japanese restaurants. Their precision in slicing fish and their balance of rice to fish are impressive. I’ve been there at least eight times, and their seasonal menu and sake selections continue to impress me.

I’m very impressed with Leo Aguirre Tobia, the executive chef from Mauro Colagreco’s restaurant at Raffles. His creativity and flavours are refreshing and light, and the menu flows seamlessly from start to finish. He’s an inspiring chef.

My favourite dish is the olive oil cream with lemon rosemary sorbet on The Parlour dessert menu. It’s refreshing, light, and not too sweet.