Chef Paul Sebess has gained a solid following among area families who love excellent baked goods. He is the chef behind Le Pain de Paul.
Tell us about your background, especially as it applies to your career.
When you grow up in a German-Hungarian family that loves to cook and, even more importantly, loves to eat, you don’t really have much choice but to appreciate good food!
Cooking has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I trained in France at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon and was fortunate to work in some incredible kitchens, including Paul Bocuse’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant and Alain Ducasse’s Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo.
Over the years, I competed internationally, including at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg, wrote several culinary books (two awarded!), and spent more than 20 years teaching and directing my family’s culinary school, Mausi Sebess, in Argentina.
And now, for the last three years, baking in my own business. And this is just the beginning.
What do you like best about what you do?
The reaction and comments that come after our deliveries! When you dedicate hours to preparing and baking something, there is nothing better than hearing how much someone enjoyed it.
Recently, a customer told us that our pumpkin tart reminded her of the one her mother used to make, a taste she thought she would never experience again. That really stayed with me.
It’s incredible how food can bring back memories, people and moments in our lives that we wish we could relive, even if just for a few minutes. And to create new ones.
And of course, I still love the cooking itself. After all these years, I am constantly experimenting, adjusting recipes.
What does a typical day look like for you?
On baking days, my alarm goes off when most people are still sleeping! A lot of the work actually starts the day before, preparing doughs and allowing them to ferment slowly. Then comes shaping, proofing, baking and getting everything ready for our morning pickups and deliveries.
One thing I enjoy about our bakery is that we bake to order. I know exactly what needs to be prepared, and everything is baked fresh for the people who ordered it.
On the other days, I’m usually preparing for the next bake, testing recipes or working on the business. And when I manage to take some time off, I have a new hobby: working on my old Porsche, a car I’ve dreamed of owning since I was a child. I also enjoy long walks and cooking for my two boys.
Are you from this area originally, or did you settle here from somewhere else? If the latter, what brought you to this community?
I was born in Brazil, grew up in Argentina, studied in France and lived in different places throughout my career. So, I’ve moved around quite a bit!
We discovered Nocatee through a friend. My wife and I came to visit for just one day, and we immediately felt it was the kind of place where we wanted to raise our two boys.
We loved the schools, the outdoor lifestyle, the calm. We love it here. Starting a bakery wasn’t part of the original plan!
What do you like best about living here?
The people and the sense of community. It’s a place where neighbors really do support each other.
Actually, Le Pain de Paul exists because of that. It all started when I baked bread for a fundraiser at our children’s school. People loved it and started asking if they could order more. One thing led to another, and suddenly we had a bakery!
I love running into customers at the grocery store, at school or while walking around the neighborhood. It’s a very different relationship from what you experience working in a large restaurant, and I really appreciate that.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I love spending time with my wife and our two boys. I spent many years working long hours in professional kitchens, so being able to enjoy family life is something I really value.
Lately, I’ve also been spending time restoring and fixing my old Porsche. I’ve loved these cars since I was a little boy, so having one to work on has become a bit of a passion project.
I enjoy long walks, and of course, cooking at home. You would think that after spending so many hours in a kitchen, I’d want to stay away from it, but apparently not!
What would you like our readers to know about Le Pain de Paul.
I think the most important thing to know is that we are a very small bakery, and that’s intentional.
Everything we make is prepared in small batches and baked to order. When you place an order, we prepare it specifically for you.
I’m also very selective about the ingredients we use. In France, traditional bread is made with just four ingredients: flour, water, yeast and salt. That’s it. And that’s the philosophy we follow.
Good ingredients, proper technique and enough time to let the dough develop naturally. No unnecessary additives or shortcuts.
We apply that same attention to everything we make, whether it’s a baguette, a croissant, a pastry or our fresh pasta.
But what I enjoy most is knowing who I’m baking for. Many of our customers have been with us since the very beginning. I know their favorite breads, what they order for special occasions, and sometimes even what their children like for breakfast.
For me, that’s what makes Le Pain de Paul special. It’s not just about baking good bread. It’s about becoming a little part of people’s everyday lives.
