“How much does your bike cost?” : Juan Arbelaez remembers the day he thought Pierre Gagnaire was going to fire him, but the summons took an unexpected turn

If Pierre Gagnaire is known for his know-how and his high standards, he is also a man with a big heart, as Juan Arbelaez tells us. Asked about his beginnings in cooking, during a podcast produced by Balthaz.co, the Colombian chef looks back on a memory that marked him.

The former Top Chef participant says that when he was an intern at Pierre Gagnaire, he went to the kitchens by bike. “At one point I parked my bike out front and one day I came out and people kicked it over me.”, he explains. The young apprentice has no other choice but to travel by metro, which is not usual. The next day, he arrived 25 m late. The same evening, he returned home and called his mother who remained in Colombia. He is in tears and tells her of his desire to be fired. A few days pass and one morning, Pierre Gagnaire, who is then his boss, calls him into his office. Juan therefore goes backwards and that’s when he learns that his mother sent an email to the boss begging him not to send her son away. Certainly touched by the situation, Pierre Gagnaire then asks “How much does a bike cost?”. He writes a check to the young clerk who, we hope, has never been late again!

Born in Colombia, Juan quickly discovered his passion for cooking. He therefore moved to France to improve his skills. After studying at the Ferrandi cooking school, one of the most prestigious institutions in Paris, he enriched his experience by working alongside big names in French gastronomy, such as Pierre Gagnaire and Éric Frechon.

In 2012, he participated in “Top Chef”. Although he does not win this season 3, this show will give a considerable turning point to his career. Today, he still offers more than just cooking content on his social networks, and is at the head of several successful restaurants, including Plantxa, where he mixes French and Latin American influences with boundless creativity.