Sorrel ice cream with cucumber and spruce shoots – Chef's Pencil

Anton Bjuhr started his career after finishing high school as a dishwasher at a fast food restaurant in his hometown of Storuman. He worked his way up and within six months or so he was working in the kitchen where he stayed for another year and a half. This was the first time he felt "at home"! He wanted to learn more and since he had never been to restaurant school before he felt it was high time. He went to the French Culinary Institute in New York in the summer of '99 for an intensive study of classic French cuisine; it was easier to go to New York since he didn't speak French. While still in school he started an internship at the Swedish restaurant Aquavit. However after graduating he moved back to Stockholm because his visa period was up. Back home he got a job at a classic Swedish restaurant called Fem Små Hus where he spent the winter. He then moved to Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago and started working at a restaurant called Sandhamns Wärdshus. He stayed there for a year. Hungry for more he got in touch with Bengt Sjöström at the restaurant Linnéa with some help. Since there were no vacancies at the time he started as an intern in the hope of more. After a few months he got his chance as did another chef Jacob Holmström who started at the same time; this was the first time they worked together. The next stop was Oslo Norway where he got his first job at a Michelin-starred restaurant: Le Canard. When the pastry chef left Anton took his place and he never went back to the hot kitchen after that. The pastry business was a new world for him; he loved it and wanted to learn more about it. After two years at Le Canard he went to Strasbourg for a few months to work as an intern at Au Crocodile. Soon it was time for Paris. It was difficult to apply there because he did not speak French very well. But after a month or so of sending his resume to countless restaurants he finally got lucky: he got the chance to meet Chef Gagnaire and ask him for a job at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Pierre Gagnaire in Rue Balzac. He worked for a week on a trial basis in the pastry kitchen and after the holidays he officially had a job at Pierre Gagnaire. It was great! He had a job at one of the best restaurants in the world; it was a dream come true. After working for almost two years at all the stations in the kitchen of the pastry shop in Rue Balzac he got the chance to be part of the opening team of Pierre Gagnaire aux Les Airelles in Courchevelles. This was the first time he was responsible for desserts. This restaurant was only open during the winter so after six months he went to Dubai to be part of the opening of Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire to help and train the new staff in the bakery and gain more experience because the next stop was Seoul in South Korea and another opening. Pierre Gagnaire á Seoul was opened with him as a pastry chef writing his own dessert menus! Here he worked again with chef Jerome Roy they were previously a team at Pierre Gagnaire aux Les Airelles in Courchevelles. He stayed there for two years. Finally after a few years abroad he decided it was time to return to Sweden. In Stockholm he and Jacob started planning their own restaurant. After a year and a half they found the perfect location. Six months later after the renovation they opened their first restaurant Gastrologik on October 27th 2011. Within a year and six months they received their first Michelin star. Anton is grateful that Pierre Gagnaire trusted him and gave him the opportunity to gain invaluable experience by working all over the world. This not only helped him gain professional experience in the pastry business but also to learn about his professional and personal strengths and weaknesses as a chef and leader.