Benjamin McCormick

I think there have been a few defining moments in my life, those which made me the person who I am today. Looking back, the most important one, was when I decided to leave business school, as it no longer held my attention. My interests had changed...... to cooking, which I fell in love with during a job training assignment for my business school. I had discovered a whole new world...... the culinary world.

It made me realize that my passion was in the kitchen, which actually surprised me, as I had no idea, that all this time, I had a hidden ability just waiting to be discovered and realized. Working on pursuing a career as a chef has been an amazing experience, most importantly because I found identity and a sense of belonging somewhere - even though that somewhere is a stressful, loud, fast moving kitchen, that somewhere is where I feel most at home.

My culinary training & education has taken me from Scandinavia, to Spain, then to Asia & back again to Helsinki. I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of positions & in top kitchens. My background is fine dining, specialising in Mediterranean cuisine & Asian fusion. Fortunately, for me, I come from a strong culinary background, with 3 of my older brothers being industry professionals. They have constantly pushed me to develop my skill and prove that I have what it takes to be a top chef.