Pastry chef Tyrie Philoe gets hero’s welcome after excelling in culinary contest |24 March 2022
The four Seychelles participants in the competition
Tyrie Philoe, the pastry chef of Constance Ephelia and winner of the Constance Pastry Competition Pierre Hermé –Valrhona Trophy in the 15th Constance Culinary Festival that was held recently in Mauritius, received a hero’s welcome upon her return home yesterday afternoon.
She and other participants from the Constance Hotels & Resorts, Seychelles, were welcomed at the Seychelles International Airport by the management team and staff of the Constance Ephelia Resort, led by general manager Stephane Duchenne and a team from the tourism department led by Paul Lebon, director for destination planning and development.
Also present to welcome Ms Philoe and her other colleagues were members of their families.
“I feel very proud to have won the first place in the competition. It shows the many sacrifices, determination and efforts that I have put in my work,” said the young pastry chef who noted that she was surprised at the welcome she received, something she was not expecting.
Ms Philoe, who developed a passion for pastry from an early age, said the competition for the Pierre Hermé-Valrhona Trophy was tough, compared to her first participation in 2017, when taking into account the levels of attainment in pastry by the pastry chefs and sous chefs from around the world.
She added she also got to share experience and work with the other chefs as a team.
Her dream is to become the first Seychellois female executive pastry chef.
Her first participation in the competition was in 2017.
On board the plane yesterday were also three other contestants among whom included compatriot Alain Hoareau, pastry sous chef from Constance Lemuria, who won third place in the same category along with Sebastien Bouillet of Maison Bouillet, France.
Ms Philoe won her category along with Vincent Guerlais of Maison Guerlais, France. Second place went to Glenn Noel from Valrhona IMEA and Supun Thushara from Constance Moofushi, Maldives.
“It was my first participation and I won third prize and I am very happy,” said Mr Hoareau, who noted that the competition was tough and very challenging.
Created in 2006, the festival, for pastry and culinary is the most prestigious food and beverage event in the Indian Ocean. It represents a wonderful opportunity for participants to meet star chefs and to work with top professionals. Over the years, the patisserie trophy has become as important as the main culinary competition where year after year the desserts presented have been more and more creative and innovative.
It is to be noted that Pierre Hermé is one of the great masters of sophisticated French patisserie and World best pastry chef in 2016. During the one week festival of competitions, networking and sharing of experience, the participants in the competition used the leading gastronomic brand of chocolate Valrhona for their creations.
“It’s a great honour for Constance Seychelles, especially for Constance Ephelia, for this achievement from Tyrie. We always encourage our chefs to persevere and to work hard to reach a high level. It is only through hard work that you will be rewarded as has demonstrated by Tryrie in the competition. It is with pride that I can say that the Constance Seychelles has been able to provide for the developments of our chefs to the level that they are being recognised internationally,” said Mr Hermé, who noted that it was the first time that the hotel had won such a prestigious trophy through Tyrie since taking part in the competition following the opening of the hotel in 2012.
For his part, Mr Lebon said that Tourism Seychelles is proud of the spectacular achievements by the Constance team from Seychelles, especially from Tyrie, which shows determination, hard work and sacrifices.
He added that the department will continue to put emphasis for hotels to provide opportunities for workers to prosper and that the workers also take their responsibilities to grab the opportunities on offer.
The accompanying photos show some highlights of the welcoming ceremony at the airport yesterday.
Patrick Joubert
