Nicolas ADAM

O205 rethought food processes in gastronomy and events, with a philosophy of working exclusively with seasonal, local products and never repeating the same recipe. Alongside catering, the project focused on consulting to help restaurants and food businesses design sustainable systems, from menu development to cost control and team training.

Designed and executed tailor-made menus for private and public events across France and the Netherlands, always adapted to the customer’s needs and context.
Organized creative gastronomic events, often linking food with art and culture, using flexibility as a core strength.
Provided consulting for restaurants and food producers: cost management, menu development, HACCP training, food system optimization.
Advised on sustainable supply chains, connecting clients to local seasonal producers and reducing waste.
Collaborated with cultural institutions and creative partners (Sandberg Instituut, Rietveld Instituut, Dutch Weed Burger, Rosa & Rita, among others).
Delivered bespoke catering concepts for festivals, art exhibitions, and film events.

Knowledge & Skills Acquired:
food consulting
menu design
HACCP protocols
cost management
event catering
sustainable sourcing
training and coaching teams
facility design and equipment advice
customer adaptability.

De Wasserette, Amsterdam (NL) Freelance chef & consultant - 9 months
Preparing and organising the chef transition.
Cost analysis / menu development / recipe writing / staff training / HACCP protocols / suppliers.

Restaurant Entrepot, Amsterdam (NL) Freelance chef - 6 months
Consolidating current team, working hand in hand with head chef and team to develop new dishes .
Hot section & pastry development / staff training / HACCP protocols / fermentation protocols.

deLIGHTHOUSE was created as a pastry and fermentation house, born from the energy of the Sweet Tooth Club. Its philosophy centered on seasonal creations made with 80% locally sourced, often organic ingredients, blending classic French pastry tradition with original recipes and fermentation-inspired innovations.


Produced tailor-made pastries for cafés, restaurants, and cultural events
Expanded to a second location combining pastry kitchen, kombucha taproom, art exhibitions, and bottle shop, serving as a neighborhood hub.
Created seasonal pastry lines from travel cake to original recipes implementing local resources or by products from sake brewing such as sake kasu.
Collaborated with chocolatiers, farmers, and artists to create cross-disciplinary projects.
Implemented strong sustainability practices: second-hand equipment, repurposed materials, returnable pastry boxes, local city garden compost to treat organic wast.
Managed production and trained apprentices, ensuring consistent quality and passing on craft techniques.
Organized and hosted exhibitions and tasting events, connecting food with art and local community.


Knowledge & Skills Acquired:

sketching, renovating, building
pastry development & recipe creation
fermentation techniques applied to pastry
event hosting & collaboration
B2B & B2C sales
apprentice training
sustainable production methods
supply chain & customer management
small-team leadership
taproom management
barista technics

Skate Cafe, Amsterdam (NL) Freelance chef & consultant - 2 years
Open 3 days a week, kitchen and catering work.
Cost analysis / menu development / recipe writing / staff training / HACCP protocols / suppliers.

Rosa & Rita, Amsterdam (NL) Consultant - 3 months
Creating new dishes that integrate the house style, using local supplier and ingredients.
Menu development / recipe writing / cost analysis / staff training / suppliers.

Leave Your Sword draws inspiration from the Japanese tea ceremony and focuses on crafting kombucha that highlights tea in its purest form, combining traditional craft with modern brewing innovation.

Developed a unique brewing method (inspired by wine, beer & sake) to create a 100% tea-brewed kombucha: naturally carbonated, unpasteurized, sugar-free, 2.5% ABV, shelf-stable (no cold chain), with strong aging potential.
First kombucha brewery in the Netherlands to obtain full permits for both alcoholic & non-alcoholic production.
Built and operated an independent, auto-financed urban microbrewery with a community taproom.
Created Sweet Tooth Club, a pastry & cocktail pairing series, showcasing kombucha’s versatility in gastronomy.
Curated and hosted cultural events bridging food, art, and music (collaborations with artists, schools, museums, and festivals across Amsterdam).
Practiced sustainable brewing: reuse of bottles & crates, recycling organic waste with local gardens, sourcing organic teas & beetroot sugar.
Designed a diverse kombucha portfolio (essentials, single estates, seasonal botanicals) using whole loose-leaf teas.
Developed a kimchi line rooted in traditional Korean methods but adapted for the Amsterdam market: vegan, unpasteurized, and aged. Collaborated with local farmers to reduce food waste (e.g. fermenting surplus kohlrabi into dongchimi).
Supplied an established B2B and B2C customer base including top restaurants, bars, and specialty shops.
Recognized internationally: IWSC medals (2023 & 2024) and World Kombucha Awards (2024).
Actively contributed to global kombucha standards through Kombucha Brewers International.
Collaborated with laboratories and implemented advanced measurement technology (Anton Paar Beer Alcolyzer M) to understand fermentation protocols and secure Leave Your Sword’s unique brewing method.


Knowledge & Skills Acquired:
quality control
brewing methods & equipment
bottling / packaging / labeling / shipping
B2B & B2C sales & customer base management
events creation & management
branding & social media
specific HACCP fermentation protocols
fermentation R&D
labeling regulation, european food law, customs
stock management
team management
project management
website & online sales building & management, customer service
sampling protocols and food laboratories research management
cocktails and food pairing
bar & taproom management
supply chain
company administration

Café de Ceuvel, Amsterdam NL Chef & consultant - 1 year 6 months

Head chef for a newly opened 100% vegetarian restaurant with strong sustainability ethos and local sourcing.
Designed versatile seasonal menus: fine dining farm-to-table during fall/winter, transitioning to high-volume, affordable service in spring/summer.
Managed food cost, supplier selection, HACCP, staff hiring & training.
Designed blueprint & advised on new kitchen build.
Supported cultural programming with catering, workshops, and masterclasses.

Bataclan Café, Paris 11 (FR) Chef - 1 month

Head chef for the reopening of the restaurant.
Developed new menu, managed supply chain, food costs, HACCP, and staff training.
Provided catering for events, including bands.

La Cocotte Gourmande, Cressac (FR), 11 months

Production Manager at a sustainable organic canning factory.
Developed new product lines, recipes, and quality control processes.

Le Conservatoire was dedicated to capturing taste, color, and texture through modern canning techniques, creating high-end preserves, jams, and syrups from seasonal and local products. The philosophy was to fight food waste while bringing gastronomic value to local fresh productions to surplus and declassified fruits.

Created a certified organic line of jams and cocktail syrups using GI (Geographical Indication) fruits, biodynamic harvests, and wild foraged ingredients.
Developed custom recipes for local farmers to transform surplus crops into value-added products.
Provided consulting for small producers on recipe design, production processes, HACCP protocols, and factory setup.
Collaborated with comic strip artists for unique label designs, blending gastronomy and contemporary art.
Selected to represent France at the International Art Fair Mascat Festival 2015 (Oman) with tastings, trainings, and workshops.

Knowledge & Skills Acquired:
canning & preservation techniques
product development
organic certification processes
HACCP compliance
consulting for food producers
creative branding & label design
food waste valorization
subsidies & funding
company administration

Do Brazil, Gustavia, Saint-Bathelemy 971, West Indies, 11 months

Head chef responsible for menu design, recipes, food costs, team management, ordering, staff hiring & training, HACCP
In charge of catering & events such as The Bucket Race.
Working with local producers, wild picking, seasonal products & 100% seasonal small-boat fishing.

Le Jamin, Chef David Legrand, Paris 16 (FR), 2 months

Replaced head chef during recovery.
Managing team and kitchen operations.

La Méditerranée, Chef Dennis Rippa and pastry Chef Franck Michaud, Paris 6 (FR), 1 year

Chef de partie tournant across starter, fish, meat, and pastry sections.
Handled production, ordering, HACCP, and intern training.
Collaborated with Chef Dennis Rippa on contests and consulting projects.

Le Clos des Cimes, Chefs R & J Marcon & pastry chef Christophe Gasper, St Bonnet le Froid (FR), 6 months

Station chef during master’s program; handled amuse-bouche, starters, fish, and meat garnish.
Engaged in monthly wild-foraging and bakery training with pastry chef Christophe Gasper.

Maison Jeunet, Chef Jean-Paul Jeunet, Arbois (FR), 6 months

Internship as station chef during the first year of the master degree of culinary art at ESCF Ferrandi.
Starter, fish and meat section. Responsible for production, service (lunch & dinner) and ordering.
Participated in weekly wild-foraging and studied wine-making & pairing with local producers.

La Méditerranée, Chef Dennis Rippa and pastry Chef Franck Michaud, Paris 6 (FR), 6 months

Station chef in starter, fish and pastry section.
Responsible for production, ordering, HACCP.

Lasserre, Chef Nomicos, Paris 8 (FR), 1 month

Commis chef assisted in starter and meat section, temporary replacement.

La Butte Chaillot, Chef Guy Savoy & Chef David Legrand, Paris 16 (FR), 5 months

Station chef across starter, fish and meat sections.
Ordering, HACCP.

La Butte Chaillot, Chef Guy Savoy & Chef Stephane Laruelle, Paris 16 (FR) commis de cuisine - 3 months

First year of cooking education at ESCF Ferrandi.
Starter, fish and pastry section.

La Marine, Chef Laurent Cesne, Carteret (FR) commis de cuisine - 2 months

Prior to enrolling in cooking education at ESCF Ferrandi Paris.
Starter & dessert section, working in production & service during lunch & dinner shift.