Indicative of the quality of education at the Post-Secondary Institutes of Vocational Education and Training (better known by their Greek acronym MIEEK) is the fact that a MIEEK graduate in the field of Bakery – Confectionery, Sofia Louise Savva, excels for her creations at Lutetia 5 * Hotel in Paris. From a young age she loved Confectionery and for this reason while working in a hotel in Paphos, at the same time the afternoons found her studying Bakery - Confectionery at MIEEK in Limassol. Immediately after completing her studies, she was given the opportunity, through the Erasmus + programme, to go to Paris, and work for a year in the confectionery of Yann Couvreur.
"It was one of the best experiences I have ever had, having the good fortune to work with famous chefs, such as Johan Martin, Frank Asnoot and Dominuque Ansel", says the young pastry chef. Today, two years later, she works at the Lutetia 5 * Palace Hotel, in the brasserie area under the Michelin 3-star chef Gerald Passedat. "At Lutetia I was given the great opportunity to create my own sweets and then to participate in the Salon du Chocolat 2020, where we presented the sweets we serve in our hotel menu," says Sophia. She has also participated in the HoReCa gastronomy competition in Cyprus, in the categories Lady Chef and Static Plated Dessert, where she received, a gold and a bronze medal, respectively.
As she explains, it is a very demanding profession in a male-dominated environment, and one gets the feeling that your opinions are not heard, and you repeatedly have to prove your worth. Although many women Pastry Chefs are paid less than their male counterparts, Sophia remains optimistic as things change. Her choice is to continue living and working in Paris as she feels that she still has a lot to learn in cuisines abroad, but her plans are to return to Cyprus, and she does not rule out her involvement with the confectionery education since, as she says "I like to transfer my knowledge and experience to other people."
