Is this decision unexpected?
“Yes and no. It’s not that I had already caught it, so I’m surprised in that sense. But a lot has happened in the past few months. The departure of several chefs led to some criticism of Sergio Herman. Then in April the news came that Pure C lost its two Michelin stars because chef Syrco Bakker left. So it was obvious that something would change.”
Is losing the stars the direct reason for Herman’s departure?
“This may have been the trigger, but I don’t think it’s the main reason. In Cadzand he works together with the family that runs the Strandhotel, and you have heard for a while that the Sergio Herman Group was not always on the same page as that family. He always strives for perfection, there was even a documentary about him that appeared Fucking Perfect is called. Apparently the Sergio Herman Group and that family sometimes saw perfection differently. I can also imagine that if you are understaffed and you also lose those stars, something like that will also start to weigh on the collaboration.”
According to Sergio Herman himself, both restaurants no longer fit ‘his personal ambition’. What is that ambition?
“I find that the most hopeful thing in the letter he published: he wants to cook more for himself again. That’s the best news, because that man is such a fantastic cook. I’ve had dinner with him a number of times, and it’s been great every time.
“What also struck me in that letter was that he was very empathetic. He really took the time to involve his employees. Apparently he has learned lessons from the past period: that it should not all revolve around him.”
He also refers to international projects. What is that about?
“In collaboration with the Hyatt Hotels, he will open two restaurants in Asia, in Singapore and Tokyo. You often see that: large hotel chains try to bind big names to them, in order to increase their own image.
“In addition, he also has two restaurants in Antwerp, Le Pristine and Blueness, and there are already five Frites Ateliers.”
How are these other restaurants doing?
“He works together with entrepreneur Luc Dheedene for his Antwerp restaurants, and this will probably run more smoothly than in Zeeland. Le Pristine opened its doors a few years ago and was very well received. It was always full, it was very difficult to get a table there. It was more difficult with Blueness. There were insufficient staff there, and a number of critical reviews have also been published, including at The morning.
“As in all restaurants, especially in the middle segment, it is now easier to get a table than it was a year ago. That has everything to do with inflation and rising costs, not so much with the quality of those restaurants.”
How will things continue with Pure C and AIRrepublic, without Sergio Herman?
“That is not yet clear. But in recent years there has been so much investment in Cadzand, that municipality has developed in such a way that it is inevitable that something new will come along. Although that will probably not be of the Sergio Herman level, because there are not many chefs like him.”
