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Back of the House : Thomas HaasBiographyThomas Haas is a fourth generation pastry chef who grew up in his familyís pastry shop in the Black Forest village of Aichhalden. His great-grandfather opened the CafÈ Conditorei Haas in 1918 and since then, successive generations have lovingly prepared the familyís Black Forest cakes and other local delicacies. Following in their footsteps, Thomas trained in Germany and then went on to gain experience in Switzerland, France and North America. Before North America beckoned in 1995, Thomas had worked in several Michelin starred restaurants in Europe. Canada called and he became the Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. While in Vancouver, Thomas participated in the annual North American Pastry Chef of the Year competition in New York City finishing amongst the top three finalistsí two years in a row (1997 and 1998). In December 1998, Thomas moved to New York City to open Daniel Bouludís new restaurant, Daniel, as Executive Pastry Chef. While in New York, Thomas was named one of the TOP TEN Chef in America by Chocolatier and Pastry Art and Design magazine and appeared on Martha Stewart Living several times. The beautiful nature of Vancouver pulled Thomas back to the west coast. In the fall of 2000, Thomas started his own business Thomas Haas Fine Pastries and Desserts Ltd. where he is making fine handmade chocolates for some of the finest restaurants and hotels in Canada and the United States. In April 2005 Thomas opened his newly built 3,500 sq ft production kitchen & cappuccino bar. He specializes in handmade chocolates, wedding cakes, pastries and desserts. In 2001, at the Valrhona National (North America) Pastry Team Championships in Los Angeles, Thomas won FIRST Prize in all categories (Best in Chocolate, Best in Sugar, Best in Table Design and Best Overall). In 2002, The Vancouver Sun Restaurant Awards awarded Thomas/Senses with BEST Chocolates, BEST Desserts, BEST Croissant and BEST French Pastries. The Vancouver Magazine awarded Thomas/Diva at the Met with BEST LAST COURSE for the years 2001, 02, 03, 04, 05 & 06. Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie was awarded BEST LAST COURSE for 2007. Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates was named one of the TOP 20 Artisan Chocolatiers in Chocolatier Magazineís 20th anniversary issue (Feb/March 2004). More Thomas HaasMore than 6 years ago, my wife Lisa and I began the journey to realize our life long dream. To be independent, have fun, make people laugh and of course prepare the most delectable handcrafted chocolates and pastries imaginable. Step by step we continue to strive for perfection driven by our love and passion for food and people. Our company has expanded into a dynamic and stylish facility, a cappuccino bar and Patisserie with a staff of 22 which we value as the heart and soul of our business. Our traditional recipes remain the same while new ones are created every week. In our kitchen you won't find assembly lines or mass production, only the skilled hands of pastry chefs and chocolatiers whose finesse and sensitivity is expressed in every handmade confection. At Thomas Haas Chocolates, we carefully choose our raw ingredients and select only the best. Our chocolates are perfumed with fine BC wine, oak barrel aged maple syrup from Quebec, vanilla beans from Tahiti, fresh citrus zest, loose leaf teas and organic herbs and spices. Our cakes and pastries are adorned with Fraser Valley hazelnuts and berries, Okanagan fruits and infused with fresh roasted coffee and liqueurs from Alsace and the Black Forest. Whenever possible we source our products directly from the farmer. There are no preservatives or artificial flavours in our kitchens! Who is Thomas Haas?Thomas is a fourth generation pastry chef who grew up in his family's pastry shop in the Black Forest village of Aichhalden, Germany. His great-grandfather opened the CafÈ Conditorei Haas in 1918 and since then, successive generations have lovingly prepared the family's legendary Black Forest cakes and other local delicacies. Following in their footsteps, Thomas began the intensive training for Konditormeister, or Master Pastry Chef. After graduation he went on to apprentice and subsequently work with top chefs in Michelin starred restaurants in Europe and exemplary restaurants in North America. In 1995 Thomas came to Canada as the Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. He participated in the annual North American Pastry Chef of the Year competition in New York City finishing in the top three finalists in 1997 and 1998. It was his fabulous desserts and exuberance that drew the famous restauranteur Daniel Boulud to Thomas. In 1998 Thomas moved to New York City as Executive Pastry Chef at Boulud's new restaurant Daniel. While living in New York, Thomas was named one of the TOP TEN Pastry Chefs in America by Chocolatier and Pastry Art and Design magazines and appeared on Martha Stewart Living several times. The accolades continue. In 2001, at the Valrhona National (North America) Pastry Team Championships in Los Angeles, Thomas won FIRST Prize in all categories (Best in Chocolate, Best in Sugar, Best in Table Design and Best Overall). In 2002, The Vancouver Sun Restaurant Awards awarded Thomas/Senses with BEST Chocolates, BEST Desserts, BEST Croissant and BEST French Pastries. The Vancouver Magazine awarded Thomas/Diva at the Met with BEST LAST COURSE for the years 2001, 02, 03, 04, 05 & 06. The Vancouver Magazine has awarded Thomas Haas Patisserie with BEST LAST COURSE for the year 2007. Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates was named one of the TOP 20 Artisan Chocolatiers in Chocolatier Magazine's 20th anniversary issue (Feb/March 2004). Check out the Kudos for more of Thomas' acheivements. The beautiful scenery and nature of Vancouver drew Thomas and Lisa back to the Canadian west coast. In the fall of 2000, they started their own business Thomas Haas Fine Pastries and Desserts Ltd. where they continue to make outstanding handmade chocolates and pastries. Click on the image below to start video
Introduction movie shown during the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Gala, March 2009. |