How to succeed as a two-Michelin-starred chef

From zero to hero: Paul Liebrandt
10 April 2012

Earlier this month, 33-year-old chef and ex-Londoner Paul Liebrandt received a second Michelin star for the restaurant he co-owns, Corton, in TriBeCa, New York.

Liebrandt started cooking professionally aged 15 but in 2009 Corton went from having no stars to two stars in its first year. Liebrandt, who trained under Marco Pierre White, now works 16-hour days, six days a week, and runs a team of 16 in the kitchen who between them prepare between 80 to 90 covers a day.

Having moved to New York from Charing Cross Road 10 years ago, Liebrandt travels regularly to Paris but admits to still loving London. Here are his tips for success:

Be clear and committed
You need to want to work in the industry. It's a tough environment here — you must have a clear idea of what you want to do. Be resolute.

Be tenacious
Keep going. You put in a lot working at this level — you must keep moving day in, day out. That involves gathering everything from the customers, the media, your team and your backers and balancing it all.

Learn your job
Most importantly, learn to cook correctly with a good chef. Everyone is different — some of the top chefs haven't had formal training, but I did.
I believe the key is to start young.

Don't give up
Not everything will go the way you want. Sometimes you have to work from A to C, not A to B, so it's important to keep your eye on your own goal. No one can set this for you.

Be your own person
Some chefs, such as Heston Blumenthal, have an excellent cooking style. They take what's out there and put their own personality into their cuisine. We're always striving for that but it's really down to the individual to achieve it their own way.

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