Pastry Chef Carlo Midiri: Where Passion Meets Perfection
If Carlo Midiri had to choose one word to describe his work, it would be passion. Member of the Dutch Pastry Team, owner of Patisserie and Chocolaterie George Vis in Noordwijk, and Dutch Chocolate Master 2022. Now that he has just turned fifty, he still feels the same passion after all those achievements. “Continuing to strive for perfection is not always easy. But I simply can't do it any other way.”
Carlo Midiri has never worked anywhere else but at Patisserie and Chocolaterie George Vis in Noordwijk. From a young age, he was passionate about everything related to pastry. His Italian father owned an ice cream parlor with a pizzeria in Noordwijkerhout, and Carlo initially wanted to learn how to make ice cream, but at the time, there was no training for that. So, he enrolled in the bread and pastry program at KTS in Voorhout. As part of his studies, he did a one-week internship at George Vis. "Back then, it was a very old-fashioned pastry shop. But when I heard someone was leaving after I finished my studies, I immediately asked if I could work there. They agreed. And after ten years, I was asked if I wanted to take over the business."
In 2002, Midiri became the owner of Patisserie and Chocolaterie George Vis. Ten years later, he transformed the shop into what it is today: a chic patisserie with a high-end assortment. Thanks to his creativity and quality, Midiri has now become a renowned pastry chef in the Netherlands. “I am one of four ambassadors for Callebaut in the Netherlands.
I’ve also been a member of the Dutch Pastry Team since 2013: I won the Dutch Pastry Award that year, which made me an aspiring member. I’ve remained part of the team ever since.” If he had to name a signature element in his work, it would be the color purple. “I find it a very beautiful color, especially when combined with black. Somehow, purple always finds its way back into my work and my branding.”
The sea and the beach are a source of inspiration for Midiri's work. “In September, the dunes here turn into a sea of orange: all those sea buckthorn berries. I used them in my creations for the World Chocolate Masters in 2022. It’s always nice to showcase something from your roots. I love letting my creativity run free and I look for inspiration from colleagues or on social media. I also pick up ideas from completely different industries, for example from a brand like Rituals or the way ICI Paris packages their products. I also draw a lot of inspiration from music. But in the end, the customer has to be excited about what you create. If they don’t appreciate your work, they’ll simply go somewhere else.”
Every six months, Midiri and his team introduce three or four new products to the assortment. “We have a spring-summer collection and an autumn-winter collection. That way, we keep the work challenging for ourselves and continue to surprise our customers. By the way, everything I create is very close to me personally. Of course, I get inspired by others and by the wishes of the customer, but in the end, we always do it our own way.
A major source of inspiration for Midiri is his membership in the Dutch Pastry Team. Six times a year, he meets with his talented colleagues, and for several years now, they have taken an annual inspiration trip lasting a few days, for example to Paris or Prague. “We dine at good restaurants. And of course, we try to visit the best pastry chefs in the city.”
Midiri is always in search of perfection, even in his own work. “That can be very exhausting sometimes,” he admits honestly. “Sometimes you wish you could set the bar a little lower, that you wouldn’t have to feel that constant pressure to perform. But I can’t do otherwise. It’s deeply ingrained in me. I’m a perfectionist and maybe a bit of an autistic. When I walk into the shop, all the labels have to be perfectly straight.”
Sometimes I wish I could set the bar a little lower.
Midiri likes to use Debic whipped cream in his creations. “I choose Debic because of the taste and quality. The storage of Debic whipped cream is very good: air is free, and you can easily whip it in to get a lot of volume. The firmness is also great. I find it important that a cake in the display case looks just as beautiful at the end of the afternoon as it does early in the morning.”
Debic whipped cream truly makes a difference for a pastry chef in terms of taste and yield. Although he is regularly offered alternatives, he feels no need to switch. “If it’s good, it’s good. Of course, as a perfectionist, I always strive for better. I try to go from good to better by, for example, giving a classic a modern twist. You have to listen carefully to what the customer expects from you and adapt to the demands of the market.” However, Midiri never compromises on quality. “If something isn’t good enough, it goes straight into the trash. It has to be perfect.”
Debic whipped cream really makes a difference in terms of taste and yield.
Pride
During demos and workshops, young talents often admire Midiri’s work. They are usually genuinely interested and ask good questions afterward. That flatters the pastry chef. “Sometimes you suddenly see that little boy you once were. I’ve come a long way. By now, I dare say I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. Yet I will always believe that my best and most beautiful creation is still to come.”
Discover this XL croissant-inspired recipe made with Debic Croissant Butter and Debic Brioche Butter — bigger, richer, and perfect for your range this season!
Try the recipe
