Karine Hyon-Vintrou (École Ducasse): “Young chefs seek purpose and balance, not just prestige”

We spoke with Karine Hyon-Vintrou, General Director of École Ducasse—one of the world’s leading culinary schools—about the main challenges facing young students who want to develop a successful career in pastry or cuisine. Don’t miss out on the interview!

What are the current challenges facing professional cooking and pastry?

The sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Chefs and pastry chefs must simultaneously respond to economic pressures, sustainability concerns, evolving consumer expectations, and significant changes in the job market. One of the main challenges is maintaining excellence and craftsmanship while adapting to new realities: seasonality, supply constraints, waste reduction, energy costs, and changing lifestyles. At the same time, younger generations are seeking greater meaning, balance, and purpose in their professional lives, prompting the sector to rethink certain entrenched practices. Therefore, the challenge is not only technical or operational, but also cultural and human.

Do these professions represent promising career paths for young people? What are the main job opportunities?

Undoubtedly. Gastronomy and pastry remain incredibly dynamic sectors, with high international mobility and a wide variety of career paths. While many graduates choose to work in restaurants, hotels, or luxury hospitality groups, current opportunities extend far beyond traditional cooking. 

Entrepreneurship, consulting, product development, food styling, catering, content creation, food events, sustainable sourcing, and training are expanding fields. Most interestingly, these professions combine creativity, craftsmanship, and global opportunities. A young chef today can forge an international career much more easily than previous generations.

A young chef can build an international career today much more easily than previous generations

What are the culinary vocations like among young people? Do professional cooking and pastry resonate with the concerns of new generations?

Yes, although motivations have evolved. Younger generations are increasingly drawn to professions that allow them to create, express themselves, and have a tangible impact. Gastronomy responds to many of these aspirations. Food today is linked to important social issues: sustainability, well-being, culture, transmission, local identity, and even social connection. Young people are also very sensitive to authenticity and creativity, values ​​deeply rooted in culinary professions. What has changed is that they no longer seek only prestige or hierarchy, but also purpose and balance. Schools and employers must understand this evolution.

For a student, are technical skills and discipline enough, or do they also need other qualities (empathy, communication skills, business acumen, creativity) to forge a successful professional career?

Technical mastery and discipline remain fundamental. They generate rigor, consistency, and credibility. But today, they are no longer enough on their own. Modern culinary professionals also need creativity, adaptability, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and, increasingly, business acumen. Kitchens are multicultural environments where teamwork and leadership are essential. A successful chef today must not only be able to execute flawlessly but also manage people, communicate a vision, understand diners, and adapt to a constantly changing world.

Schools must train technically excellent, intellectually curious professionals capable of evolving globally

Ingredients, techniques, and ideas are now circulating at an unprecedented speed, transforming gastronomy into a true space for dialogue. In this context, chef training goes far beyond technique. What should a culinary school teach its students today to develop well-rounded professionals?

Gastronomy has become a true space for dialogue. This means that culinary training must go far beyond technique. Schools must teach students to think, interpret, and collaborate. Exposure to different culinary cultures, the challenges of sustainability, the realities of sourcing, and international teamwork are essential. Students must also learn to adapt. A chef may work in several countries throughout their career, on teams made up of professionals from diverse cultures. Therefore, understanding diversity and developing cultural intelligence becomes as important as mastering a sauce or a pastry technique. Ultimately, schools must train technically excellent, intellectually curious professionals capable of evolving on a global scale.

Besides the effort to nurture the passion of young people from schools, do you believe that the world of haute cuisine and pastry should change its methods and work culture to attract young talent to its projects?

Yes, undoubtedly. Haute cuisine and high-level pastry possess extraordinary strengths: creativity, excellence, transmission of knowledge, craftsmanship; but some sectors still maintain outdated work cultures that new generations increasingly reject. The sector must continue to evolve towards healthier leadership models, a better work-life balance, more inclusive environments, and more sustainable management practices. Excellence and human well-being should not be incompatible. In fact, the most successful kitchens today are often those that combine high standards with a strong team culture and mutual respect.

AI will transform some aspects of the sector, but gastronomy remains fundamentally human

How is AI affecting—or how will it affect—professional kitchens? Is this topic already being addressed in schools like École Ducasse? 

AI will undoubtedly transform some aspects of the sector, especially at the operational level. It can already assist with inventory management, menu planning, nutritional analysis, forecasting, and administrative tasks. However, gastronomy remains fundamentally human. Creativity, emotion, intuition, hospitality, and sensory experience cannot be automated. Therefore, AI should be considered a tool that can improve efficiency and foster creativity, rather than replace chefs. At École Ducasse, we already introduce students to these topics through discussions on innovation, technology, and the evolution of professional practices. It is important that future chefs understand these tools and learn to use them intelligently and responsibly.

What culinary trends will dominate in the coming years?

Several important trends are clearly emerging. First, plant-based cuisine will continue to expand, not as a constraint, but as a sophisticated field of creativity. Secondly, desserts are becoming less sweet and more focused on balance, natural flavors, and seasonality. Thirdly, there is a growing return to local ecosystems: chefs are reconnecting with producers, orchards, and regional products. More generally, gastronomy is moving towards greater meaning and coherence. Consumers are increasingly seeking experiences that combine flavor, authenticity, sustainability, and storytelling. The chefs who will stand out tomorrow will be those capable of combining technical excellence with cultural openness, environmental awareness, and emotional connection.