- By Admin
- December 06, 2023
Text by Gilbert Pytel, photographs by Louise Marinig
In the spotlight: honoring a newsworthy chef
Pastry enthusiasts and the general public alike discovered Nina Métayer in 2015 when she appeared, then aged 26, in the third season of the television competition "Qui sera le prochain grand pâtissier?" on France 2.
An experience that won’t have been easy for her: “filming for the various shows was carried out a very intense pace for five weeks. To begin with, I was really out my comfort zone and struggled to express how I was really feeling. By the end, I had learned a great number of things during the show. Generally speaking, what makes TV so complicated is that you have to have faith and avoid looking at yourself too much. My husband, Mathieu, has always supported my various projects and pushed me to improve. After each of my media appearances, he analyses my performance honestly, highlighting my strengths as well as my weaknesses. I have made great progress thanks to him."
That same year, Nina Métayer was noticed by Jean-François Piège who offered her the position of pastry chef in his gourmet restaurant.
"You have to have faith and avoid looking at yourself too much."
Two years later, she joined Café Pouchkine as head dessert chef: “I am well aware that my media exposure has been of major help in obtaining senior roles. It's a huge opportunity but I also worked relentlessly to gain this visibility. Since starting out, my goal has been to share my pâtisserie with as many people as possible, I also love talking about my work and my passion.” In 2016, she was named pastry chef of the year by Le Chef magazine, and the following year, pastry chef of the year by the Gault & Millau guide. Titles that also highlighted her work and expanded its media range with many articles for the specialist press: “it’s a different kind of pressure when when you’re interviewed by journalists who work for the print media. There’s an added responsibility in relation to the ideas you want to share. If you say the wrong thing, it gets printed and is remembered for years to come.”
Even today, Nina Métayer is frequently approached by various television news shows or programmes such as “Le Meilleur Pâtissier" (The Greatest Pasty Chef) on M6: "I realise that some journalists call me because they know that I’ve done TV before. They’re saving themselves some time with me as they’re aware that I am very responsive to their requests. But I remain clear-headed and aware that I am also sometimes contacted first because I am a woman and have a pleasant demeanor. But that doesn’t bother me because you have to do these things in order for things to get better. As I am quite committed to fighting for women’s place in gastronomy, I try to highlight certain positive messages as much as possible. Generally speaking, being a woman in a quintessentially male environment has helped me to surpass my goals. All the criticism I’ve heard throughout my career has increased my willpower and perseverance tenfold. I would be very proud to serve as an example for others.”
"I would be very proud to serve as an example for others."
Nina Métayer’s media popularity is no doubt related to the opening of Délicatisserie in 2020, her own 100% online pâtisserie: people pre-order on our site and choose, depending on the day, from the available locations and time slots to click and- collect or for delivery by courier, in Paris as well as certain suburbs. I find it quite crazy to have achieved this feat and the media have obviously helped to publicise the website. While I am well aware it could all be over tomorrow, I try to multiply my media reach. For instance, I am quite active on social networks such as Facebook and Instagram where I share my creations and recipes. Little by little, I hope to implement my own brand in order to better represent my beliefs and approaches to environmental and social issues.”