Damien Deslandes

Damien Deslandes started his career in pastry at a very young age. It is in the family kitchen where he made his first steps in the craft, during his holidays he would make cakes for the region’s pastry chef! How his career has flown since!

From the Carribean to Lebanon, passing through London, Paris and Dubai, Damien worked with leading Chefs; Gaston Lenôtre, Guilaine Arabian, Michel Isard, and Didier Studhler.He did his apprentice at Lenôtre where he worked there for three years, and then went to work in London at Grosvenor House. He then went to work in the Carribean at St Barth, St Martin and Anguilla and after a brief stay in Paris; he went to live in Beirut. He has been living in Beirut for the last 16 years and has worked in several prestigious houses and managed teams of 120 people.

Damien currently works as consultant at Faqra Catering in Lebanon, the biggest caterer in the Middle East. He was attracted by the hospitality of the Lebanese people and their strong cultural heritage. From a business point of view, Lebanon is a captivating country. As commented by Damien, "The Lebanese are open to new ideas in gastronomy and are very meticulous when it comes to quality. An interesting challenge to fulfil!" Moreover, Damien travels each year to France where he follows trainings with Jean Michel Perruchon and Franck Michel in pastry to keep up to date with new trends.