INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 

Deborah Wehrens 

IP culinary broker 

From Michelin stars kitchens to global IP in culinary project 

Who is Deborah before the project?

I was 16 when I started as an apprentice in fine dining restaurants. At that time, kitchens were still heavily French-oriented, structured, precise, and demanding. I was shy and insecure, and the dishes became my safe space, a place where I could disappear and communicate without having to speak. It became my way of coping, my hiding place. But there was no option to remain invisible for long. I had to learn, improve, and perform. My chefs quickly recognized strong potential, and I was labeled a talent early on. However, I was also the only girl in a male-dominated environment, and not everyone could accept that a woman could outperform them. That created tension, pressure, and resistance, but I kept going. It was a difficult world to enter, and I often said that I did not step into a kitchen, I stepped into the military.

At 23, after working in some of the best restaurants in the Netherlands — I am Dutch, by the way — I took my final and highest professional exam. After years of working relentlessly and sacrificing almost everything, this exam was meant to be the crown on my work. But I failed. During the dessert, I had to use sugar, but I mistakenly took salt. That moment became the biggest disappointment of my career. After that, I stopped working in fine dining restaurants. I moved to Belgium and started working as a chef in brasseries. 

The work was different. It was less about perfection and more about volume, cooking for large groups of people without overthinking every detail. But deep inside, I could never fully let go of what I had built...

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HISTORY OF FOOD 

Who is Craig Burns before the food history adventure?

I lived in Los Angeles for over 30 years, mostly involved in the media industry. I worked in operations, on set, in grip and lighting, and marketing—many different areas of production.

How did it start? Where did your interest in food history come from?

I worked extremely hard in my media career—long days, long commutes—and I developed bad eating habits with fast food. In 2016, that caught up with me, and I had a five-way heart bypass. I returned to work, but in 2020, I had a stroke, which forced me to rethink. After recovering, I sold my business and moved to Turkey, where I discovered a whole new food outlook—local, clean, and organic. That’s where my passion for good food really began...

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CHEF'S LIFE 

Danny Davies’ journey into the world of cuisine began in the most humble way—washing dishes in a small pub in Derby, UK, at just 13 years old. Within six months, he had worked his way up to cooking Sunday roasts for 50 people. It was there, plate by plate, that something clicked. The smiles, the compliments, the quiet satisfaction of feeding others—this was the first time he truly felt valued. In that moment, he knew: this was his path.

Determined to follow that calling, Danny went on to culinary school and stepped into his first professional kitchen at 18, working in a seafood restaurant. His talent and drive carried him forward quickly, and soon he became a head chef apprentice in an Italian kitchen. But an even more extraordinary chapter awaited. Not long after, he joined the Royal Household as a chef through his service in the British Army, completing five tours over ten years. His dedication and skill ultimately led him to serve as a Royal Chef to Prince William and Prince Harry—an experience that would shape both his discipline and his vision....

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The story of Chef Michael Powell 

RESTAURANTS 

Hamdi Ugur, owner of Porterhouse Steakhouse

Honestly about life, way to success and future of Restaurants 

"I worry about the future of the restaurant industry. We are losing communication, respect, and manners. People rush. They eat fast. They choose convenience over experience. Even days like Valentine’s Day have changed—less elegance, less meaning. I hope one day we remember what it means to be human again"

SUSHI CORNER 

Sushi, as we know it today — elegant, delicate, sometimes intimidatingly perfect — actually began as something much more… practical. And slightly questionable.

More than a thousand years ago, somewhere along the Mekong River, people needed a way to keep fish from spoiling. Refrigerators did not exist. Delivery apps did not exist. So they did what humans have always done: they got creative. Fish was salted, packed in fermented rice, and left to sit for months. The rice fermented, preserved the fish… and then was thrown away. Yes. Imagine cooking rice for months just to toss it. Early sushi was basically “keep the fish, forget the carbs.”

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Story behind...

Chef Yoshio Minami 

I am originally from Peru, and my childhood was strongly influenced by food and culture. Growing up, I was always surrounded by flavors, especially seafood, which is very important in Peruvian cuisine.

When I was a child, I didn’t have a clear idea of becoming a chef. Like many kids, I had different dreams, but I always felt connected to cooking without realizing it at the time.

My decision to become a chef came from my passion for food and the desire to create something meaningful for others. Working in kitchens and seeing how food can bring people together was a big inspiration. Over time, I became especially interested in Japanese cuisine and sushi because of its precision, discipline, and respect for ingredients...

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FUTURE STARS OF CULINARY 

“Pastry is my way of sharing happiness with the world—one dessert, one flavor, and one smile at a time.”

Jhon Carlo Bulayog: The Art of the Natural Bloom

I was raised in the Philippines, in a life that could be described as simple, yet quietly comfortable. But beneath that simplicity, something powerful was taking root. When I lost my father at a young age—a man who served as a Chief of Military—I came to understand that true strength does not always speak loudly. Sometimes, it lives in silence, in resilience, in the ability to keep moving forward.

It was my mother who carried that strength into our future. Her courage to work abroad became the turning point of my life. In her sacrifice, she planted the earliest seeds of my ambition. Long before I could see it myself, she recognized a spark of creativity within me. Everything I have become is, in many ways, a continuation of her belief...

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CHEFS AND RECIPES 

Chef and food columnist 

Paul Watters

Story behind and great recipes

"Being a chef is always a challenge from working in small to medium restaurants or to a five star hotel it's important to know your audience and how you are going to perform at a higher level"

CULINARY PHOTOGRAPHY 

Behind the lens 

Syukoc 

More than 10 culinary photography awards 

Philosophy and story behind the lens 

 Did you dream of becoming a photographer since you were little? Or did you have a different dream as a child?

Syukoc: I've only really started holding a camera, or even becoming a photographer, in the last five years or so.When I was little, my dream was to become a chef. That dream changed to something else once I got my license.

When you started your career as a photographer, did you immediately choose food photography or cooking photography? Or did you start in a different field?

Syukoc: I started taking pictures five years ago, and I've only been working as a professional photographer for the last three years or so. Before that, I only took pictures as a hobby and didn't even really know how to use a camera (laughs). I originally picked up a camera because I wanted to take pictures of my dog. Even so, I started taking photography seriously to take food photos...

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