Chef of the Week Sponsored by Pure Ionic Water: Piero Sottile, Executive Pastry Chef at Shangri-La, The Shard
Chef of the Week sponsored by Pure Ionic Water celebrates the chefs that embody Pure Ionic Water’s core philosophy of ‘enhancing the culinary experience‘.
Pure Ionic Water works in many kitchens up and down the country from the pinnacle of Michelin stars to 5-star hotels, uniting them all, the desire to serve the very best. Understanding the difference premium hydrogen enhanced alkaline water makes to food, to the kitchen team’s performance and ultimately to the business’s profits is easy, just ask around.
“I only trust Pure Ionic Water at home and in my restaurant.”
Sat Bains, Chef Parton, Restaurant Sat Bains, 2 Michelin stars
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How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I’ve been working at Shangri-La, The Shard, London for nearly 4 years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion for pastry comes from my father and my grandfather who were both bakers, and we had a little pastry and bakery shop in Sicily where I started to learn pastry; then I refined my knowledge at a pastry school near Rome, “Boscolo Etoile Academy” and working in 5 stars hotels such has Armani Hotel in Dubai.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Being able to be creative and bring to reality my ideas is the most fun part of being a pastry chef for me.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Cream, chocolate and fruit.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My beloved pallet knife.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I am seeing a willingness to go back to simplicity when we talk about desserts, without the use of fancy ingredients and techniques used in molecular gastronomy, for example.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
What I am seeing, mostly in the younger generation, is the lack of solid basic knowledge. This, with time, can result in being a letdown.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Summer, for the different seasonal fruit and vegetable available.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I think my Tiramisu is one of my most appreciated desserts.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I look for inspiration from pairing of ingredients, cookbooks or even other chefs.
Who was your greatest influence?
My Executive Pastry Chef, Ascanio Brozzetti. I worked with him when I was apprentice at the 3 Michelin starred “Le Calandre” in Padova.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Ascanio Brozzetti, Emmanuele Forcone, and Leonardo Di Carlo.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Tradition in Evolution by Leonardo Di Carlo.
