Brian Mark was born in the south of Jutland and from birth he was immersed in the life of the hotel run by his parents in the small town of Vojhens. His father worked in the kitchen, serving traditional Danish dishes, while his mother helped with service. He loved the atmosphere in the kitchen. Even at a very early age, Brian was looking to create; there was no internet at the time and every month he bought the magazine Taste and Pleasure, searching for inspiration elsewhere so he could create new dishes with his father. He ultimately decided to find his own path in life, but was thankful to his parents for giving him so much. He attended a cooking school where he was able to establish a solid band of friends who he is still in contact with to this day. Together they earned their culinary stripes in the famous seaside resort of Skagen; he stayed there for three years that only intensified his love for the profession, then, with his sports bag under his arm, he left for the capital, where he became a sous-chef at Søllerød Kro, in the Copenhagen suburbs. After a two-year detour in Klampenborg, he returned never to leave again and, thanks to his talent, the establishment has managed to preserve its Michelin star. There, in the setting of this former inn founded in 1677, he serves a very personal cuisine, open to the world, for which the key criterion is the excellent quality of the products, regardless of their source.
Brian is close to his children, he occasionally cooks with his son Buster and was overjoyed to see his daughter Dicte join him on the podium in January 2023. Rebecca is very important too; working alongside him as the dessert chef, she also shares her life with him. Whenever possible, they love to travel to find inspiration everywhere they go; the choice criteria for their destinations: good cuisine and good wines!
To keep up the pace, Brian Mark has a ritual: every morning, before getting started in the kitchen, he runs 5 km. He also tries to keep to his three fitness sessions a week. Another thing he loves about cooking is working with others; a mindset observed at the Bocuse d’Or where his team was really united around him and his commis chef, Elisabeth Madsen. Winning the Bocuse d’Or had been his dream for 20 years! But true to form, he was back down to earth in no time and ready to “cook up a storm” again at the restaurant.
