Adventure in Europe
Rúnar Pierre is a 27-year-old chef who enjoys travelling to other countries, learning new things, and being part of the community of those who love to cook. He has participated in numerous competitions both at home and abroad.
Helen Gray, Development Manager at IÐAN Education Centre, recently spoke with Rúnar Pierre, who has travelled to Europe three times with the support of Erasmus grants provided by IÐAN. Since 2006, IÐAN has encouraged and supported apprentices and newly qualified tradespeople to embark on adventures in Europe. Rúnar Pierre is one of them. Rúnar studied his trade at three outstanding restaurants. First, he went to Hotel D'Angleterre in Copenhagen. Then, his journey took him to Finland, to the Michelin-starred restaurant Olo in the heart of Helsinki. As a newly qualified chef, he returned to Copenhagen, but this time to the restaurant Relæ, which works systematically towards sustainability and is ranked 56th among the world's best restaurants according to 50 Best Restaurants.
“Ambition in the choice of ingredients, utilisation, cooking, and respect are what matter when it comes to culinary arts. These are areas where we here in Iceland could do better. You always have to be re-evaluating your standards,” says Rúnar.
Learning in the deep end
“It was a great learning experience to be an apprentice in another country. Everything you did was very closely monitored. There was a strong emphasis on the fundamentals. If you did well, you were given more responsibility and more complex tasks, which resulted in increased skills. Going abroad alone and into a company where the standards are very high was very challenging. You were sometimes in the deep end, but that's how you learn.”
Discipline, organisation, speed, and collaboration
According to Rúnar, several things stand out. He specifically mentioned a few important points. The discipline was immense, but not in a negative way. “Everyone was on the same journey and everyone knew what was expected; no one tried to take the easy way out, and it didn't matter what role people were in. Things were very organised and that was followed.” He experienced speed but at the same time, collaboration. “Everyone was passionate about doing things well. When everyone is together five days a week from morning to night and shares the same passion, everyone works together and helps each other like a family.”
The dream
Rúnar says the trips completely changed his direction as a professional. He knows what his goals and dreams are. “My personal life changed in the sense that I was willing to sacrifice more on that side to get further in my career. The best thing you can do for your career is to choose new standards. The more you travel and the more you learn, the more you realise how little you know and that there is an endless amount of different cooking methods, methodologies, and different opinions on what is right and what is wrong.”
By Helen Gray
Further information about grants is available on the IÐAN website
