Chef Malgorzata Scheidle

If you could invite any 2 people for dinner, who would it be and what would you talk about?

Yotam Ottolenghi and my Husband. Yotam put a great spin on Middle Eastern cuisine, I think my husband cooks better than me … so we definitely could cook up a storm in my house and hopefully I could learn a bit more from this fabulous chef!

What was the last culinary course / qualification you took and what would you choose next?

Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy, Private Thai Chef Certification which I did in 2022. Such fantastic depth of Thai cuisine. I am already booked into Tokyo sushi academy in November

What is the most funny/ frustrating thing that has happened to you whilst cooking for someone?

I think frustrating is finding out last minute that one guest has allergies or numbers go from 12 to 15. In private cheffing that happens a lot, so you have to be very flexible. A funny part of your job is loosing desserts to sudden boat movements, or electricity cutting out. There’s nothing else you can do! You just laugh and carry on with a fancy version of fruit salad!

How much of your cooking is “finger tips” and instinct rather than following the recipe?

I think that now after cooking for 7 years it’s finally turning into instinct. I would say over 60% of my cooking however, I still follow recipes for pastry … as we know you don’t play with this area of cooking, it has to be very precise.

Waking up at 6am for my morning coffee and provisioning. If provisioning is done then it’s onto prepping, that’s the most important part of the day – marinating, compressing etc. The more prep done, the better the day and the results including flavours. Each client is different from requiring 3 meals a day to only 1 a day. Each booking is different. I always set up a station for each course to make plating more efficient and after each service, cleaning up and wipe down is crucial!!

How do you spend your time off? What do you enjoy doing?

I generally travel a lot during my time off, visiting family and exploring new food spots with my husband. We are both passionate about cooking therefore it’s easy to plan our travels.

You’ve just finished working with a client ‘trackside’ of the Monaco Grand Prix! How did you prepare for that?

First by contacting the client for a preference list. Next, sending a client menu for approval and visiting the venue checking for equipment and space etc. I had to organise deliveries the day before as the track get closed from 6am,  so it’s important to get all the food into the venue earlier. I spend 1 full day prepping and separating goods, as well as checking for any missing items.

What was a typical day whilst cooking for your guests during the Formula 1 event?

I arrived at the flat at around 6am, then would go to the market for fresh bread and any items I missed or decided to add. next was prep,  marinating fish or meat depending what I was serving that day. I would separate herbs, micro greens and get on with baking a few dessert components for plating.

You were close to the action, how did you cope with the noise?

I was wearing noise cancelling sets given by guests and food was only served during race break.

What did you love about the event.. and what didn’t you like?!

The hardest part was provisioning as I slept only maybe 4 hours each night. The atmosphere was fantastic and the client was very kind, therefore I had wonderful time.

What advice would you give to a young person entering the industry today?

First of all you have to be independent and resilient, this industry requires sometimes a lot of hard work and not much sleep so you have to be tough here. Always save 20% of your salary on the side just in case boat gets sold and you loose a job, or in case there’s an accident. Have a plan B exit strategy. A goal you should aim for in future if your environment is toxic, do not stay on the vessel. Lastly train, train, train and use winter or low season months to go and do different courses to upgrade your skills.

What inspired you choose the food and drink / chef industry?

I have always loved hospitality and it was my calling since I was little. Food inspirations, I take from my fellow colleagues and obviously some amazing chefs out there like Ottolenghi, Bachour and Dugourd.

Do you have a favourite cooking or chef quote to share?

A recipe has no soul. You as the cook must bring soul to the recipe. — Thomas Keller