It was a career test at school that set him on his culinary path. As a young man, he headed to London to do his training, but it proved to be a culture shock. “The way people communicated with each other, it wasn’t really a team effort,” he recalls. “Everybody was shouting, throwing things. I was so stressed out that I cooked a lobster in a microwave!” Gast describes his time working under the domineering chef as “the worst time in my life”.
But the experience propelled Peter in a different, more harmonious direction. Returning to the Netherlands, he set up his own restaurant, 't Schulten Hues in Zutphen (2002-2018) which featured mostly herbs and flowers cultivated and harvested by Gast. In less than two years he was awarded his first Michelin star, aged only 25.
In September 2018 Peter and his wife moved to Amsterdam and opened their restaurant Graphite in the middle of the center were he once again received a Michelin star. Graphite is a mysterious and inspiring place where all your senses come to life. You can only enter with a QR code. The atmosphere can best be compared to that of a trendy club. Round tables with semi-circular benches, very intimate and inviting. Slightly mysterious but relaxed. The fifteen-course menu surprises you during the whole dinner and are combined with wine creations that are 'spot on'. They blend in perfectly with the combination of eel, apricot, green asparagus and sherry. Or the monkfish with miso, horseradish, crab, green apple and turnip greens.
Peter Gast
Michelin rated: Previously held 1 Michelin star for 20 years in the Netherlands
World’s 50 Best rated: Not listed
Type of Cuisine: Creative modern European cuisine
Specialties: Inventive dishes with tangy and sweet-and-sour nuances
Special skills: Combining detailed and complex flavors with artistic presentation. - F&B conceptdeveloping- (Pre-)opening F&B project management- Cuisine developing- Brand building- Crossmarketing
Wine & Food pairing: Yes, Peters wife Jacqueline is a talented wine&food pairing specialist
Chef at restaurant: Formerly in the Netherlands. Opening soon in South Africa.
Land of birth: Netherlands€