Meet the chef: Markus Bohr of Harrods
The executive pastry chef of the world-famous department store talks the future of patisserie and staying constantly inspired
Every week, the culinary team at Harrods produces 30,000 pieces of patisserie, ranging from individual pastries sold in the food hall to dozens of bespoke cakes. And at Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter, this number easily reaches 50,000 – no mean feat for just one kitchen. So when Harrods needed to find a chef to mastermind the 24-hour operation, and future-proof it for years to come, who did they call? Markus Bohr, of course.
Having worked at Harrods since 2008, Bohr now leads a team of 70 bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers to supply not only the food hall, but also the collection of 30 in-store restaurants, each boasting individual character. Given its range of cuisines, from hearty dishes and popular pies served in the glamorous surroundings of The Georgian to Pan-Asian food at Chai Wu, what does this mean for the kitchen? Approximately 260 lines of breads, cookies, pastries, cakes, savoury snacks and chocolates, each with a different source of inspiration, flavour profile and technique.
For some, the task may have been too great. But for Bohr, a passion for pastry was in his blood. Born in Germany, he grew up in a family of pastry specialists – his parents owned a bakery, and he spent many weekends working there – before he studied at the prestigious Pastry Master School in Stuttgart. This opened doors to kitchens at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Malaysia, and The Phoenician resort in Arizona, where he created an array of forward-thinking menus.
The Georgian
With nearly two decades at Harrods under his belt, many of Bohr’s signature creations can be found at The Georgian, which serves a decadent afternoon tea (and requires more than 1,000 plain and raisin scones on a daily basis). Look out for the Strawberry and Custard Crumble Cake, the Grand Cru Chocolate Palet patisserie – which was introduced 15 years ago and remains a firm favourite – and the new Pistachio Choux, one that Bohr is particularly proud of and took countless hours to perfect.
Now at the helm of a seriously well-oiled operation, we sit down with Bohr to discuss how he was tasked with preserving Harrods’ patisserie operation, and how he remains constantly inspired despite decades in the industry.
I was born and raised in this field [of cuisine] as my parents owned a pastry shop. When my father passed away while I was still a boy, it was almost ‘expected’ that I would pick up the profession to step in and take over the business at some point. Ultimately my career progressed differently than originally anticipated, but the aim was always to be a pastry chef. I always refer to a genetic pre-disposition for the craft.
Waffles. My dad had worked in Luxembourg as a young pastry chef and had this fabulous waffle recipe that we made for our shop. To this very day, I continue to make the family recipe, especially at home for family and friends when we’re having brunch!
I started my three-year apprenticeship in Germany at the tender age of 16 and worked in several small pastry shops in my hometown of Saarbrűcken and later in Stuttgart. This was followed later by attending the prestigious Master School in Stuttgart where I earned my Masters.
Early in my career, I worked in two establishments that were significant and influential in my future development. Firstly, Café Schapman on the Königsstraße Stuttgart, a true icon of traditional pastry and Kaffeehaus culture. Secondly, I worked for the Mövenpick group, a true pioneer in standardised recipe and production practices. Both shaped me in more ways than I realised at the time.
I was happy and content in my last post prior to Harrods as area pastry chef for Shangri-La hotels based in Singapore when the opportunity arose. In part it was my desire to return to Europe after 20 years overseas. Equally, to work for a business rich with heritage but adapting to a rapidly changing world and marketplace offered lots of potential. I was brought on specifically to overhaul the kitchen operations, elevate the offer and to future-proof the operation. I had the vision to build a team that could rival the best in Europe (and the world) and Harrods was willing to help me bring that vision to life. Seventeen years on, I am still working on that mission.
We are firstly influenced by the seasonal changes that are a large driver of our product development. With that in mind, we are constantly balancing the need to be an industry leader and at the same time satisfy our customer base. An interesting challenge for myself and the team to hit the mark. Our influences are global, it comes naturally with the territory of a global brand: whether it is savoury snacking in Melbourne, or petit patisserie in Barcelona, it is all relevant to us.
We work on annual plans to implement the larger divisional strategies in restaurants and retail. Then come the ‘unexpected’ demands that arise through collaborations with global brands that other divisions in the store are working on. We have been very successful in harnessing the talent pool in our team to come up with fantastic offerings to support those efforts, [including] Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi and Prada, to name but a few. Juggle is the right description! The outcomes truly are a [result] of collaboration within the department.
To identify the operational needs of the team and provide them with all the tools and means to be successful; to fulfil the business requirements in a safe and efficient manner; and to harness the power of your team and grow them to their full potential. Most importantly: treat every member of your team the same way you would want to be treated yourself.
Probably the Ritz restaurant. A true experience of fine dining in the most luxurious surroundings where service and food are celebrated with every course. John Williams is deserving of a knighthood for what he built there.
Trinity in Clapham; Adam [Byatt] and Harry [Kirkpatrick] are the real deal. A neighbourhood restaurant with fantastic, unpretentious food and stellar service.
I’m a great fan of seasonality. Right now, that can mean only one thing: strawberries. So I’d say our strawberry tart because it’s got everything I love in a dessert: seasonality, freshness, colour, texture, not too sweet and nice level of acidity. Plus, it is limited as it will rotate out at the end of the season.
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