Matt McBain
Executive Pastry Chef
Industry Consultant
- Why did you decide to be a pastry chef ?
I am not an actual Pastry chef, I found this to be my weakest area and I decided to make it a strong point. - Where did you study ?
I studies in Scotland and honed my skills around the world - You were originally and still are a savory chef who went to the dark side of the kitchen, is there conflict between pastry chefs and savory chefs?
No not really, we all are working for a common goal, I am still a savory chef! - Chocolate or sugar ?
Sugar is my baby, I love working with it. - Vanilla bean or essence ?
What’s essence ? Vanilla bean ! - Mud Cake or Granny’s syrup dumplings ?
My Granny made a great syrup dumpling, I’ll stick with that. - What is your favourite comfort food ?
Anything cooked by someone else, like the taste of Italy - What exotic dessert have you created lately ?
Chocolate marquise with a poached meringue & a side of lemon mousse, the combinations worked fantastically – don’t forget the sugar garnish! - Name a celebrity that you have made a dessert for ?
I’ve been fortunate enough to cook for a number of PM’s – is that showing my age and aging movie stars. - Are competitions are great learn curb for young chefs ?
Competitions lift the bar for us in general, they are great not only for the young but us not so young ! - Fat content is important in chocolate, what % of fat do you regularly use ?
I use a 70 % fat content, depending on the dish or dessert. - What would be the strangest ingredient that you have eaten or cooked ?
Frog ovaries in Singapore - If you could take one only pie dce of kitchen equipment to a dessert Island what would it be ?
My Global knife - What is your favourite sport?
Real football – some call it soccer. - If you could not be a chef, what would you be?
A GP rider, then an architect to fall back on. - What actually inspires you ?
The day to day challenges of the kitchen where no two days are the same - Is your mother a good pastry cook ?
Great! Really Great in the words of Billy Connolly - Do you have a nickname ?
Yes, Matt ! - What do you consider to be the hottest culinary trend in the pastry world at the moment ? Combinations of flavours that work in harmony with different techniques
- In a word, what is your food philosophy?
Clean - What is your passion out side the kitchen?
Motor bike riding and my family