Interview with Paul Vincent of Chef Vincent Caters
While we specialize in large-scale corporate events and productions as an event caterer in Amsterdam, we also regularly get asked about private catering in Amsterdam for smaller groups and exclusive dinners at home.
To support clients searching for high-quality catering in Amsterdam on a more personal scale, we occasionally refer them to trusted private chefs who specialize in Mediterranean and bespoke dining experiences. Paul Vincent of Chef Vincent Caters is one of those chefs. We spoke with him about his journey from Lebanon to Amsterdam, his culinary philosophy, and what makes his catering services unique.
A conversation with a private catering chef in Amsterdam
Job: What first inspired you to pursue a career as a chef?
Paul: Since I was a kid, I was inspired by my grandma because I used to spend time with her during summer. To entertain me, she used to make me help her in the kitchen, and I used to love making dessert with her and cooking. So I think she was the inspiration behind me being a chef.
Job: You were raised in Lebanon. How did your upbringing shape your culinary style? I understand your mom was doing catering in Lebanon?
Paul: I grew up in a family where not only Lebanese cuisine was the main cuisine on a daily basis, but also French and Italian, since Lebanon was influenced by France. That helped to create diversity in our cuisine. My mom’s love for cooking also helped me to be more enthusiastic and to evolve my expertise in the kitchen.
Job: So I understood that both your mom and your brother are into food production. Is it a family thing?
Paul: My mom didn’t even learn cooking at a young age, but when my grandma passed away she had to take the responsibility of cooking in the house. Then she used to cook and cater for parties and events, and friends and family started asking for her support at their parties. She decided to have it as a side business in a way. After I became a chef, she decided to help and support me to develop my business.
For a small period of time, we had a restaurant that we managed together, me and her. After a while, we decided to close the restaurant and then just do catering because it was more convenient.
My brother grew up to be an agronomy engineer and then he also took on being a beekeeper. My mom decided to have a line of homemade products, like all kinds of jams based on honey instead of sugar, and developed it into a lot of other products based on honey.
Job: You were originally trained as a jewelry maker. How did that creative background influence your approach to cooking and presentation?
Paul: Since I was a kid, I used to love drawing and creating stuff, like DIY projects. My mom guided me to become a jewelry designer and maker. But after a while of working in this industry, I found out that it wasn’t my passion. I still loved to create things, so I decided to become a pastry chef, which became a way of combining jewelry and cake.
Job: Was there a defining moment when you knew you wanted to start a catering service?
Paul: Since I started studying as a chef, we decided to open a restaurant, so we rented a location. Then we started to do some events and a lot of people came in and they liked the food. At some point we had a small issue with the agreement on the rent, and we decided to stop it. Then we took the decision to have our catering business, and work was really booming at the time.
Job: What do you want to bring, give your clients as a caterer?
Paul: After moving to the Netherlands, I found that there is potential to bring authentic Lebanese cuisine to the culture there, which is not easy. But also for me to have a bigger market, I decided to combine Lebanese and Italian in my work, since I have experience in both cuisines.
Job: How would you describe your culinary philosophy?
Paul: My philosophy, I think, is that not everyone was meant to be in the kitchen, so it’s nice to hire some people to do so. It’s even nicer to have them take care of all details: not only the food preparation, but also the presentation and service.
Job: Mediterranean cuisine plays an important role in your menus. Any other cuisine style you like to mix it with?
Paul: I would definitely say French cuisine. Those are two of my favorite cuisines other than Lebanese, and since I have experience with it, I get the chance to cater for a bigger market in Amsterdam.
Job: So do Lebanese flavors and ingredients still influence your catering concepts today?
Paul: Definitely.
Job:Fresh ingredients are central in Mediterranean cooking. How important are they for you?
Paul:Fresh ingredients are really important, especially in Lebanon. Sometimes a lot of food is cooked in a specific season or on a specific holiday, depending on the area and the availability. Mostly, people who don’t live in the city love to grow their own vegetables or fruits.
Job: How do you tailor menus for different clients and events?
Paul: First I go through my client’s needs: if he would like to have a stand-up dinner or a seated dinner, what kind of cuisine he is interested in, flavors he is interested in. Based on this, I get to tailor a specific menu for his needs.
Job: What does a typical Chef Vincent Caters dinner experience look like?
Paul: The experience will be full of authentic foods, be it Lebanese, French, or Italian. The client gets to have the full experience of the food and flavors.
Job: How do you balance authenticity with creativity when designing your dishes?
Paul: I mostly like to stick to the original authentic flavor, and then I try to change the way of presenting that dish for it to be elevated to a new level.
Job: Can you describe your style as a chef in three words?
Paul: Fresh, authentic and delicious.
Job: Is there an ingredient or flavor combination you find yourself returning to often?
Paul: Recently I’m really interested in developing the flavor of zaatar, which is a Lebanese thyme, into French cuisine or Italian cuisine.
Job: What role does presentation play in your catering experience?
Paul: Presentation is the most important. We have a saying in Lebanon that you eat with your eyes before your mouth. So if your eyes can see something really delicious and appealing, you feel more willing to try it. So details and presentation are really important.
Job: How do you approach dietary restrictions or special requests without compromising on flavor?
Paul: Mostly if I have any dietary restriction and the menu that I have is not really appropriate for this kind of food, I tend to change the recipes to something that fits all the dietary restrictions. But I would not change ingredients or cook something with fewer ingredients than it is supposed to have.
Job: What has been one of your most memorable catering events so far?
Paul: Every event or catering is really special for me, but mostly I enjoy it when I do buffets for weddings. Since I really care about details and presentation, also the presentation of the table and the setup is really important for me.
Job: What has been your most challenging dish or event to execute?
Paul: I think every event has its own challenge. And when it comes to dishes, sometimes it’s difficult to find the right ingredients for it.
Job: Are there any new ideas or culinary trends you are excited to explore?
Paul: There are multiple culinary trends that I’m excited to explore, especially in Asian cuisine, and also mostly presentation-wise.
Job: We collaborated in Disney+ pop-up shops last summer and in December you were the team leader and production chef for ice cream creation and special chocolate creations. How was that as an experience?
Paul: I had the most amazing experience ever working on that kind of big-scale event. Also, that helped me to be creative and develop my experience.
Job: What advice would you give to young chefs who dream of starting their own catering business?
Paul: It’s a really challenging business, so do market research first. Work with multiple caterings as a freelancer, get the knowledge and the experience, and then you can start from there.
Job: Where do you see Chef Vincent Caters in the next five years?
Paul: With the right advertising and publicity, I can see it growing bigger than it is.
Private dining or catering in Amsterdam?
For more intimate dinners or private fine dining experiences at home in Amsterdam, we highly recommend reaching out to Paul Vincent of Chef Vincent Caters. Explore his website and his Instagram to discover his Mediterranean and native Libaneesh approach and bespoke private dining style.
If you are looking for catering in Amsterdam for a larger corporate event, company celebration, or multi-day activation, feel free to contact us directly. As an experienced event caterer in Amsterdam, we specialize in large-scale catering projects.