By: Thomas Starr

Making a good pastry chef, much like a recipe, has many steps and variables. From culinary school to real-world experience, the journey is one filled with many hours of hard work and dedication. For Tal Blushtien, this odyssey is filled with joy and anticipation for the next stages. Each stage along the way has offered up a new and unique experience, which shows up not only in his personality but in the beautiful creations adorning menus worldwide.

Blushtien was born and raised in Israel, where he began to develop a desire to experience the world. Having completed service in the Israeli armed forces, he relocated to Chile for two and a half working on a project related to copper exploration. “It was a great experience, just to live in another culture and learn about them; it really excited me,” the pastry chef says with wonder. 

Already way ahead of most in terms of international experience, Blushtien turned his attention to his true love, which was baking. He had always enjoyed flavors and the culinary world and took this opportunity to see if he could make his passion into a career. He attended the prestigious Ferrandi culinary arts school in Paris and enrolled in an international course. “I was in school with people from all over the world; everyone had a different approach, and it was so interesting to learn from them,” he says, noting the secondary education offered through Ferrandi.

Culinary school is not for the weak of mind or heart. It involves many hours learning the basics and training them daily in the school’s kitchen. This is followed by laborious cleaning, as is the French method. “It really instilled a hard work ethic in me,” says Blushtien, who rolled up his sleeves and was eager to learn.

It was Ferrandi who supplied the base for his knowledge, but it was the internships afterward that shaped Blushtien into the pastry chef he is today. “Working in the school’s kitchen is one thing, as everything is laid out and perfect for you; it taught me the correct way to make things,” he acknowledges the limitations of working in a stress-free environment.

“Once I started my internships, I really understood what baking was.” Through Ferrandi’s placement, Blushtien interned at the esteemed French Bastards and Yann Couvreure, both noted Parisian bakeries known for very different products.

Photo Courtesy: Tal Blushtien

“I remember my first day at the French Bastards. I was baking bread on a bigger scale than ever, and I realized I wanted to learn everything about sourdough.” Being in a retail environment created the basis for his understanding of scale. “You have to know how much of everything you can make and what is going to sell,” says Blushtien, remarking on one of the most important lessons learned on his journey.

It was during the two internships that he started creating his own recipes. “When you make the same things every day, you start to really understand the recipes,” he begins. From there, I started to take portions of different recipes and combine them together.” This was the beginning of a creative journey that hasn’t come close to ending today.

Taking the knowledge from school and applying it in the real world was an astronomical step for the burgeoning pastry chef. “Ferrandi helped me to learn, but my internships taught me how to work in the real world,” Blushtien points to his three months at both bakeries as a formative time, which has ultimately been the catalyst for his career.

The international tour did not stop once his time in Paris was complete. Blushtien moved back home, taking his first steps to branch out on his own. “During COVID, my cousin and I opened Brunch Tel Aviv, where we served artisan designer lunch boxes,” he remarks with happiness on his first foray. The business was a success, but his career continued to take him elsewhere. 

Blushtien was employed by Six Senses, a luxury resort company located in beautiful locations worldwide. It was here that he was able to combine all of his loves. His job was traveling internationally to different locations and setting up their pastry programs. “I took everything I learned at school and in my internships with me, but always stay open to learning new things.” The role of a chef is to be ever-evolving, something that Blushtien prides himself in. 

“I have been lucky enough to travel the world and learn through my experiences,” he says. Tal Blushtien’s formative process has taken him to all corners of the globe in pursuit of culinary delights. He feels as if his journey is never at the end. “You never learn everything about cooking or baking.” It is this ethos that continues to push him and grow him. At the heart of every good pastry chef is a sense of adventure, the very same one that flows through the veins of Tal Blushtien.

Published By: Aize Perez