The Chef

Kept away from the limelight for a great many years due to protocol during his delicate mission of feeding the member of the European Council and its prestigious guests, heads of state and other major players in the political world, Pierre Balthazar has re-emerged on the gastronomic scene with a desire to share the very best that his multicultural experience has to offer the world of cooking.

His key years

1970

The day when everything started

The chef was born in 1970 in Huy, the location of the finishing line for the Flèche Wallonne and the Salon du Vin et de la Gastronomie.

1984

A dream emerges

At the age of 14 Pierre saw the possibility of a career as a chef while leafing through a “folder of different professions” put together by his father and intended for his older brother. He was seduced by the manual and creative aspect of this profession.

1988

The first signs

Pierre Balthazar was studying at the CERIA during this year and it was here that he set himself the goal of becoming F&B Manager of the Hilton Hotel now called THE HOTEL!

1992

The realisation of a dream

Pierre was taken on at Seagrill by Yves Mattagne. In his role as assistant chef, he discovered the culinary world in which he wanted to forge his career. A world of beauty. Of accuracy. Of technical prowess.

1994

A few steps in the world of events

Pierre acquired experience of the world of events catering with “L’Assiette Gourmande” where he worked with two Michelin star chefs. Thanks to his experience here, he acquired great resourcefulness and the capacity to supply high volume, high-quality gastronomic dishes.

1996

Hotel cuisine

26 years old and already poised on an incredible career as executive chef in the hotel sector. Pierre Balthazar’s career took him all over the Benelux and to Germany. He studied German and in one month was able to recite 50 phrases specific to the trade that enabled him to learn the local methods, rigour and discipline.

1999

The first trophies

Eager to test his skills against those of other great chefs, Pierre took part in different competitions. He made it to 1st place in the Concours National and 4th place in the Prix Culinaire International de Taittinger.

2002

Success

Pierre made it to 3rd place in the national Bocuse d’Or.

2003

The secret decade

On 2 January 2003, Pierre Balthazar was named Executive Chef of the kitchens of the European Council – a position he held for 10 years far away from the flashlights of the media for security reasons. During this decade, Pierre made a great number of new encounters. He took pleasure in sharing his kitchen. His thirst for openness to other culinary cultures was insatiable. In 2009, he thought up, designed and proposed an exchange programme to the Council involving working with major international Michelin star chefs. The suggestion was accepted and was a great hit. The initiative introduced by Pierre Balthazar added a new dimension to the notion of sharing based on outstanding quality and great humility – all of which took place in the kitchens of power and at European summits.

2013

"The Restaurant" by Pierre Balthazar

The chef created an innovative concept within THE HOTEL that was unique in its genre and that combined culinary variations on nine seasonal products interpreted personally by two guest chefs from different cultural worlds.

2016

Changement de concept

Après les attentats au mois de mars, The Restaurant décide de changer de concept.

2017

La cuisine du moment

For Pierre, cooking has always been a way of sharing. Sharing in the kitchen, of course, but above all, sharing at the table! It is precisely around this table that he wants to build his future more than ever… In this same year, he will participate in the first secret table for the ADL Anhée and also in the charity dinner operation thermos.

2018

New projects

In 2018, Pierre started to work on the creation of the future Indigo concept while participating to various events. On the first of June 2018, he took part to a dinner with two other chefs, including René Mathieu, for the “food experience 2.0” concept with Benoît Neusy’s at the Imperative.

2019

The year of change

This year of change started for Pierre with the implementation of the Winnow waste reduction system at The Hotel. 2019 was also the year that Pierre had his first contact in Switzerland for future projects in Sion and Nendaz.

2020

Concret realisation

In 2020, Pierre was appointed to the board of directors of the hotel and catering federation. In January of the same year, the opening of Hotel Indigo with the Serra concept was announced.

His cooking

The secret of Pierre Balthazar’s cooking style lies in the great humility of his unique approach that is based on the simple pleasure of offering total satisfaction.
Pierre likes the challenge of offering up his creations for immediate judgement right from the first mouthful.

He offers dishes with meaning, created around the desires of his guests.
Calf’s sweetbreads, sole with shellfish. Pure flavours that take guests back to their childhood, souvenirs, encounters, journeys, all cooked by the chef and imbued with great respect for the culture of the product.

The generosity of his cooking is beautifully expressed via his love of products.
Pierre doesn’t transform them. The chef enhances the flavours. His profound attachment to the origins and history of the great dishes of the world is ever-present in his dishes.
No ostentatious fusion, just passion.

His services

BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

Pierre’s expertise makes him ideally placed to promote the advantages of a service, a brand etc. with great credibility as long as he feels that his values, his career, his image and his lifestyle are reflected in the specific characteristics of the product to be promoted.

Consulting

Creating menus, developing original concepts, setting up qualified teams, etc. Pierre is happy to offer his expertise to restaurants, caterers, brands or for other initiatives involving logistics or gastronomic aspects and can also provide culinary artistic direction, etc

Branding

In those instances where Pierre feels able to validate the quality of a product, he is happy to help create a range of products associating his name, his image and his expertise.

Masterclasses

His impressively calm temperament and teaching qualities make Pierre an excellent teacher for those who want to learn the art of the major cooking styles.

Culinary events

Pierre’s experience in this sector means that he is able to take on all manner of challenges outside the restaurant arena and provide outstanding creativity for an infinite number of types of event!