Stella Kurik

Stella Kurik’s culinary journey - from the humblest of beginnings to the top of the industry - almost sounds like the script of a Hollywood movie.

Having moved to the Netherlands at the age of 25, Stella took a job as a hotel cleaner: a far cry from her current position as head chef of the of the Âme restaurant in Tallinn.

Indeed, becoming a chef was the furthest thing from her mind until, having spotted her work ethic, her employer at the hotel offered her the job of breakfast cook for its restaurant. 

“I thought why not. In any case, it seemed better than cleaning the rooms,’’ she recalls.

However, that first step on the ladder of a culinary career sparked an interest in cooking and, with the encouragement of the hotel’s head chef, she enrolled on a cookery course at the Dutch-speaking public school in Amsterdam.

“If my classmates completed their homework in 10 minutes, it often took me four to five hours, because I had a lot of trouble with the Dutch language,” she recalls.

“Nevertheless, my will was so strong. I dug in and studied deeply how and why everything related to food works,’’ she says.

And that work ethic and determination to succeed paid dividends with the offer of a place at a Michelin star restaurant.

“I was extremely lucky that I came across the right chef who saw potential in me,” she says. “He gave me a chance and the freedom to learn and without him I wouldn’t be where I am now.’’

She is generous, too, in her appreciation of those she works with now. Having climbed the career ladder to become a head chef just last year, Stella is keen to emphasise that the core of her own success is teamwork.

“No chef is anything without his or her team,” she says. “I believe I am very lucky and I feel grateful to every single member of mine.”

Before moving to the Netherlands, Stella had worked in a variety of sectors, from web design and building crane controls to bartending and had also planned to study interior architecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts to study interior architecture.

‘’I didn’t study interior architecture in the end,” she says, “but I often joke that my culinary creations are an even better form of art … because you can eat them,” she smiles.

Art-loving Stella’s cooking style is primarily characterised by a Nordic approach combined with French techniques and world flavours.

“I value local raw materials and follow the principle of zero waste,” she says. “And creating an emotion is very important, too.

“For example, I recently created a light side dish for the restaurant menu - potatoes, lots of dill, herbs, and the base of the lovage emulsion. I got feedback that it tastes like childhood.

“That’s what makes me happy and motivates me; when something I have made, really touches someone’s heart.”