Alain Ducasse, a highly-celebrated French chef who currently holds the most Michelin stars in the world, is to launch his cooking school project in Thailand early next year.
Dubbed "École Ducasse -- Nai Lert Bangkok studio", the project is an exclusive collaboration between Thai real estate and hospitality company Nai Lert Group and Sommet Education, a Swiss-based education group specialising in hospitality management and culinary arts.
The first École Ducasse school was founded in Paris in 1999 by Ducasse to provide quality teaching in the cookery craft to the greater public.
Sharing the expertise and philosophy of the iconic chef, the school has since provided to the worldwide fine dining realm a number of culinary professionals and hotshots. The name École Ducasse has become a reference point for excellence in culinary education.
École Ducasse runs three schools in France -- the Paris Studio, the Paris Campus and the École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie -- as well as two international schools in the Philippines and Brazil. All are united by a desire to share a passion for gastronomy with seasoned professionals as well as food enthusiasts, career changers and students.
Thailand's École Ducasse is scheduled to open at the historic Nai Lert Park during the first semester of 2022. It will be nestled among the lush green tropical gardens of the century-old estate right in the heart of Bangkok. The establishment will span nearly 1,000m² and bring together a unique mix of expertise including Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (Best Craftsmen of France), world champions, renowned chefs and pâtissiers.
Driven by the vision and energy of the founder, the institute will offer practical, hands-on training courses in the arts of food and beverage for students of all ages and expertise. Courses range from short workshops and intensive month-long curriculum to three-year undergraduate programmes leading to a bachelor's degree in culinary and pastry arts.
The academic courses will celebrate the heritage of both French and Thai cuisines, while echoing trends in contemporary gastronomy. This will also mark the start of a broader rollout and network of training centres under the umbrella of École Ducasse throughout the kingdom.
"This new stage of development for École Ducasse is a proof of an ever-growing appetite for the excellence and unique gastronomy education," said Benoît-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education. "It is also a perfect answer to the strong dynamic of the fine dining sector in Thailand and the region."
A holder of 20 Michelin stars, Alain Ducasse is the first chef to have three restaurants awarded three Michelin stars at the same time. He owns more than 30 restaurants worldwide including Restaurant Le Meurice, Alain Ducasse in Paris, France; Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester in London, UK; Beige in Tokyo, Japan; Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Monaco; Rech by Alain Ducasse in Hong Kong; Rivea in Las Vegas, US; Trattoria Toscana L'Andana in Grosseto, Italy; and Blue by Alain Ducasse in Bangkok.
For more information, visit ecoleducasse.com/en.
