A fourth-generation pâtissier, Thomas Haas was first introduced to the delicate art of hand-crafting chocolates and pastries in the kitchen of Cafe Konditorei Haas, opened by his great-grandfather in the Black Forest region of Aichhalden, Germany, in 1918. Thomas carried the torch and continued his family’s long-standing tradition, apprenticing and working with top chefs in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe en route to earning his stripes as Konditormeister, or Master Pastry Chef.
In 1995, Thomas was lured to Vancouver to take the role of Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel, where he met his wife Lisa and twice placed in the top-three in the prestigious annual North American Pastry Chef of the Year competition in New York City. Thomas took an even larger bite of the Big Apple in 1998, when he moved to New York, and as Executive Pastry Chef, helped famed restaurateur and chef Daniel Boulud launch his flagship eatery, Daniel, in Manhattan's Upper East Side. During his time in Gotham, Thomas was singled out as one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America by Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines and saw his star further rise when he made several appearances on Martha Stewart Living, and other international television shows.
Today, Thomas and his wife Lisa own and operate Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie in North Vancouver and the Kitsilano section of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.
Instagram: @thaaschocolates
Website: www.thomashaas.com
In this episode we discuss how Thomas fared:
- Growing up in Germany as part of a pastry and baking dynasty
- Surviving an apprenticeship with a “crazy genius” pastry chef
- Honing his skills at a five-star property in Davos and a Michelin one-star restaurant in St. Moritz
- Fulfilling a dream by moving to the U.S.
- Snagging the job of a lifetime: Executive Pastry Chef at Daniel in NYC
- Learning lessons from Chef Daniel Boulud
- Opening his own business in Vancouver, Canada
- And much more!
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