Marike Van Beurden

The 31 year old Marike van Beurden currently belongs to the best pastry chefs of the world! Marike joined Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong in April 2010 as Pastry Chef at the acclaimed three Michelin star Caprice restaurant. Fresh from the banks of the Rhône, her tender age seemed inconceivable with the work history she carries in her pocket - only upon witnessing the desserts she creates can it be realized as truth.

Marike is a dedicated patissier, who initially studied her art in The Netherlands with a focus on bakery and confectionary. She moved to Bruges to finesse her skills as a pastry chef and chocolatier and after two years she found herself at one of the trendiest addresses in London under the counselling of Pierre Gagnaire: Sketch.

During her career, she has performed in various prestigious Michelin starred kitchens. Marike toured France working for La Villa Madie in Cassis under Enrico Bernardo’s watch, onto Hotel du Castellet and finally to the famed Maison Pic with tutelage from the world’s only female three-Michelin-starred Chef, Anne-Sophie Pic and one of the men in the business she admires the most, Pastry Chef Phillipe Rigollot.

Her victory as ‘Dutch Chocolate Master 2013’ is a wonderful addition to her impressive resume. Other victories at the the ‘Dutch Pastry Awards 2004’ and the prestigious contest ‘The Dessert Restaurant 2009 ànd 2010’ are already part of her game experience.

Overall, Marike is a determined and skilled young woman. A deserved winner and a serious contestant for the finals of the World Chocolate Masters. Marike: “This victory means a lot to me, I am very happy. I was planning to participate in the competition for a while now, but it was never possible because of private and/or work reasons. First I wanted to participate at the World Chocolate Masters preselections in Hong Kong, but that was not possible because the rules had been changed. Eventually, I trained in Hong Kong, but competed under the Dutch flag.”

WORLD CHOCOLATE MASTERS FINAL
The next few months Marike will devote her time on hard training periods. Our new Dutch Chocolate Master will represent The Netherlands in October 2013 during the international finals in Paris.

Marike: “It is very nice to, after my victory at the Dutch Pastry Award in 2004, battle again under my Dutch nationality. I hope we can make The Netherlands proud of being the best for the second time in a row.” Even though Marike lives and works in Hong Kong, she gets a lot of support over there. “I am coached by Marijn Coertjens. He participated at the World Chocolate Masters finals a few years ago and took part in the last edition of the Coupe du Monde. He is working in Hong Kong as well. Moreover, Frank Haasnoot (Dutch winner of the World Chocolate Masters finals 2010) will also move to Asia. I have told him that I hope he will be my coach during the finals. If it is not possible to meet in real life, luckily we have Skype”.