Caught in His Web

Content creator, creative director and Youtube sensation, Erwan Heussaff has international award-giving bodies noticing, most recent of which is the prestigious James Beard Awards

- Angelo Comsti

For a time, Erwan Heussaff had a hard time trying to find his footing.

He got accepted at France’s prestigious cooking school Ferrandi in Paris but last minute, backed out and chose to do business. “I got cold feet and didn’t know if I wanted to cook inside the kitchen. It felt so static.”

He opened a string of restaurants and bars, and while some ran their course, some had to shut down before their due time. “I always said that I wanted to do an MBA. The opening and closing of all my restaurants, that was my school. It was costly, but I ended up learning a lot.”

But when he finally pursued something he has always had an intense fascination for, his line of work was rewarded and validated not just with a solid and loyal fanbase and a handful of sponsored brands but also with prestigious industry recognition, the most recent of which is the much-coveted James Beard Awards where he won in the Broadcast Media category.

Born to parents who love to cook and eat, the young Heussaff naturally took on the family flair and spent much time in the kitchen growing up. At age ten, he would toil on a 15-course dinner for his folks come holidays and, often, for their friends when they were over for a special occasion.

“I just really enjoyed the food. I was chunky when I was six. I just enjoyed eating,” he says. “What I love most is that you can recreate flavours and dishes you’ve tried simply through memory and taste. I’d cook insane-tasting dinners with massive main dishes and make too much food.”