Pascal Bedel began his hospitality journey in France, where he grew up. Bedel started his career as an apprentice at the early age of 14 before spending three years in culinary school, mastering the skills necessary to take his career to the next level.
Bedel studied in Paris before gaining experience in a diverse range of restaurants and eventually going on to refurbish and open a restaurant of his own. According to Bedel, the culinary culture in France is like no other, and growing up immersed in it ignited his passion for cooking at an early age.
Bedel’s culinary style was crafted during years spent working in fine dining establishments. His philosophy is to avoid being too sophisticated and instead focus on creating flavourful dishes with quality meat and produce. He understands the importance of good quality produce and considers it to be the cornerstone of his dishes.
“I embrace a rustic approach that revolves around family-oriented, heartfelt cooking,” said Bedel. “I find my greatest inspiration in the ingredients themselves.”
In 2006, Bedel made the move to New Zealand where he combined traditional French flavours and techniques with modern New Zealand cuisine. His Wellington restaurant, Le Canard, was recognised by Cuisine Magazine as one of the top ten fine dining establishments in the country. Whilst in Wellington, Bedel also ventured out of fine dining kitchens and into the food truck scene, where he embraced the vibrant experiences that came from working markets and fairs.
Though the hospitality industry has been facing an unprecedented amount of challenges throughout the last few years, Bedel has remained optimistic about the future.
“As I think about the future, my goals are all about keeping things lively. I want to keep cooking amazing dishes and keep people coming through the door. Most importantly, I'm all about serving up happiness through my food. To me, it's simple but meaningful: when the food's delicious and the people are happy, that's a big win.”
As a chef who has taken his career worldwide, Bedel’s advice to any chefs starting out in their culinary journey was to embrace their passion for food and always keep learning.
“Embrace new techniques and ingredients; staying down-to-earth is key as you'll continually discover new aspects. Be prepared for long hours, working while others rest, but remember, the love for your craft makes it all worthwhile.”
