Growing up, he lived in Lyon and spent a lot of time in Alsace, Franche-Comté and Rhône-Alpes, regions well-known for their wines and cheeses. Introduced at a young age to some of the most iconic French cheeses and later wine, he developed a strong appetite for authentic regional products. Each place he visited was an opportunity to taste new ones. He would then organize apéros to share his discoveries with others.

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Years later, he moved to Victoria. As usual when exploring a new city, he went on a quest to finding a good cheese shop and discovered Ottavio in Oak Bay. He ended up up becoming the cheese monger for Ottavio and expanded his culinary horizon to North American Cheeses.