Hiram Cassar: The Direction is Excellence at all Costs
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June 3, 2025The new head chef at Fernandõ Gastrotheque is ready to set the standard. He talks fine dining, mental health and kitchen politics with Ramona Depares.
It’s been quite the exciting few months for Fernandõ Gastrotheque, retaining its Michelin star for the third year in a row while also announcing the appointment of Hiram Cassar as head chef.
When we meet for this interview, I’m surprised by Hiram’s upbeat, stress-free, vibe, as he enthusiastically launches into his plans to firmly establish Fernandõ’s as the leader on the local landscape. Hiram might be young in years, but he’s already amassed the kind of experience that other chefs only reach at a much later stage in their career, if at all.
He opened his first restaurant, Chapter 1, at 24 years of age. A few years later he left Malta for a series of high-profile roles, before deciding to leave the industry entirely. Then, he reconnected with Nicholai Grech, the owner of Fernandõ’s, and was persuaded to join the kitchen that he now helms. And he doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to his approach.
“I am very prepared for the position I’m in right now. My experiences around the world have exposed me to an incredible array of challenges and situations. Today, I’m prepared to find a solution for anything. Problems are always arising in the kitchen. This is a highly-stressful career, so people who gravitate towards this career tend to have a high tolerance. Otherwise, it’s most definitely not for you,” he starts off bluntly.
Head Chef Hiram Cassar (Photography: Sandor Venczel)
The experiences he mentions include working for ultra
high-net-worth clients in Switzerland, and cooking
alongside Chef Robert Speth at his famous Gstaad
restaurant, the Chesery, before being asked to run the
on-site yacht club.
“I was overseeing so many large events in Gstaad. And this was a place where a simple starter cost 185 Francs, so yes - the pressure was there. But it also placed me in a position where no problem is a problem.
I will always find a solution and make it work,” he says emphatically. And he certainly plans to use this to advantage at Fernandõ’s, where the direction, he tells me unabashedly, is “excellence at all costs”.
“I am here to set the standard, and people are going to follow. No-one is safe. As a chef, you can be either flavour-driven or technique-driven, but in reality both are important. I’m a strong believer in simplicity and good ingredients - these are the basis of excellent food,” he states.
The issue of complex dishes is another aspect he approaches carefully, fully believing that all the elements should always serve flavour and not the other way round. “Fine dining is a symphony of complexity that works. Not something that shows off your technique, but something that’s delicious. If it isn’t, I don’t want it on my plate,” he says bluntly.
He acknowledges that the star is an important part of the journey - accolades do open doors in today’s world. But the end game is good food, local collaborations, and what Hiram describes as “a lifestyle”.
“I was overseeing so many large events in Gstaad. And this was a place where a simple starter cost 185 Francs, so yes - the pressure was there. But it also placed me in a position where no problem is a problem.
I will always find a solution and make it work,” he says emphatically. And he certainly plans to use this to advantage at Fernandõ’s, where the direction, he tells me unabashedly, is “excellence at all costs”.
“I am here to set the standard, and people are going to follow. No-one is safe. As a chef, you can be either flavour-driven or technique-driven, but in reality both are important. I’m a strong believer in simplicity and good ingredients - these are the basis of excellent food,” he states.
The issue of complex dishes is another aspect he approaches carefully, fully believing that all the elements should always serve flavour and not the other way round. “Fine dining is a symphony of complexity that works. Not something that shows off your technique, but something that’s delicious. If it isn’t, I don’t want it on my plate,” he says bluntly.
He acknowledges that the star is an important part of the journey - accolades do open doors in today’s world. But the end game is good food, local collaborations, and what Hiram describes as “a lifestyle”.
Building the right team is another important milestone the
chef is working towards. He describes himself as “not a
chef but a mentor”, eager to guide those who are willing to
go the extra mile and learn.
“These are my kind of people. But it’s also crucial to have work-life balance. In the UK we’re already seeing a shift towards three-day working weeks, for example. Then, there’s the issue of bullying, which is rife in the industry. I have zero tolerance for that in my kitchen.”
A corollary of this is mental health, which Hiram also believes is something that’s not talked about enough in the industry. Living with ADHD, he views this as an advantage that helps him think outside the box.
“Of course, it also brings challenges like procrastination. But I do believe it’s extremely prevalent among chefs, as we tend to be more resilient to stress and to hyper focus. I zone into what I love, and if anyone disturbs what I’m doing, they’ll definitely get some tension from me.
Am I easy to work with? No. I am demanding and I can be a control freak in the kitchen. But I also have a lot of love to share. And I am definitely all about respect” he concludes with a smile.
Click here to see Horeca Issue 19 online
“These are my kind of people. But it’s also crucial to have work-life balance. In the UK we’re already seeing a shift towards three-day working weeks, for example. Then, there’s the issue of bullying, which is rife in the industry. I have zero tolerance for that in my kitchen.”
A corollary of this is mental health, which Hiram also believes is something that’s not talked about enough in the industry. Living with ADHD, he views this as an advantage that helps him think outside the box.
“Of course, it also brings challenges like procrastination. But I do believe it’s extremely prevalent among chefs, as we tend to be more resilient to stress and to hyper focus. I zone into what I love, and if anyone disturbs what I’m doing, they’ll definitely get some tension from me.
Am I easy to work with? No. I am demanding and I can be a control freak in the kitchen. But I also have a lot of love to share. And I am definitely all about respect” he concludes with a smile.
Click here to see Horeca Issue 19 online
