What’s Cooking: Interview with Patrick Stumm, Retreat Chef

Food is an integral part of every retreat and vacation. Not only does it provide us with energy to tackle a day of fun activities and exploration, but it is also a highlight in its own right. The right combination of flavors and textures can create unforgettable meals, and time spent breaking bread can quickly turn strangers into lifelong friends.

We wanted to celebrate food and its role in our retreats. So, we sat down with Patrick Stumm, one of our private chef partners, and discussed his culinary journey.

Patrick grew up in Paris and was quickly immersed in the food world through his family’s restaurant. His first jobs were in the restaurant, and when the time came to choose a career, cooking felt like the natural choice.

He began his formal training in the midst of a period of change in Parisian cooking. The methods of the older generation were still present, while at the same time, a new generation of talented chefs began to emerge, bringing a more modern vision of cooking to the table.

“I experienced quite an old-school approach: very demanding and competitive kitchens, long hours, a lot of pressure, discipline, and sometimes fairly tough methods. Over time, I saw the industry begin to change, particularly with the rise of bistronomic cuisine and a new generation of Parisian restaurants,” Patrick said.

This period wasn’t always easy, but Patrick learned a lot, and still carries those teachings with him.

Now, Patrick has turned his focus to private cheffing. He enjoys cooking for retreats because he gets to cook for the same group of guests across multiple days. This experience is completely different from a one-off dinner.

“I can gradually take them through different sides of my cooking: something very fresh and simple one day, something more generous the next, and then something more refined or unexpected. Over the course of a week, guests really have the opportunity to experience and understand my culinary identity.”

Over the years, Patrick has developed a unique culinary identity.

“I would describe my cooking as seasonal, market-driven, and focused on the product itself. I use technique to bring out the best in it and serve it in the most honest, thoughtful, and natural way possible. I like the ingredients to remain recognizable and to really speak for themselves on the plate.”

Ingredients and markets are also where Patrick often finds his inspiration for new dishes. “Sometimes seeing one beautiful ingredient is enough to build an entire dish around it,” Patrick said. From that one ingredient, he builds out a delicious plate of different textures, flavors, and visual elements.

Patrick’s ideas are also always in conversation with the client’s vision and his own experience. Bringing his vision in harmony with that of the client, as well as seasonal ingredients, allows Patrick to constantly try new things and create compelling meals.

These meals end up being incredibly memorable for guests, and are much more than just sustenance. Patrick put it best: “Food brings people together, accompanies so many important moments in our lives, and creates memories. If one plate can combine pleasure, quality ingredients, respect for the people who produced them, and something that is also good for our bodies, then for me, that’s the right balance.”