Attention, dessert lovers!
Alemre Hospitality Group – the fantastic family behind South Bank sister venues Ole, Vici and Mucho Mexicano – have a new pastry chef on the scene.
That’s right! A master of all things sweet, Lisa Bovill has burst onto the local dessert scene with a selection of mouth-watering dishes like traditional tiramisu, sugar dusted churros and peanut butter and jelly inspired cannoli. Naturally, when the opportunity came to meet Lisa (and sample her decadent desserts), we couldn’t say no...
Tell us a bit about yourself! I love food and I especially love the creative aspect of cooking food. I’ve been working in pastry kitchens for the last 7 years.
When did you join Alemre Group? I became full time in March of this year, but I’ve been working as a casual for the group since November 2021.
What inspired you to enter this line of work? I started working as a chef to escape my previous career and find my passion. I used to work as an accountant, but I knew I had to find something that I loved so I decided to finally change careers. I had always loved to cook at home, so I thought I’d try my hand at doing it professionally. I haven’t looked back since!
What do you enjoy most about working as a Pastry Chef for the Alemre Group? The creative freedom I have here. I get to create desserts for the restaurant a la carte menus, for special functions and for the sweet’s cabinet in the VICI deli.
If you could only eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be? Hard to pick just one! I like variety, so maybe I’d go with crème brûlée as it’s a dessert that can be changed up in many different ways (by infusing the cream, adding a crumb, with fresh fruits, tuiles etc).
What is your favourite sweet creation at Vici, Ole and Mucho? The churros at Olé and Mucho are very popular, and the classic Tiramisu at Vici gets a lot of great feedback.
What do you think sets your desserts apart from the local competition? We make our desserts with good quality ingredients and also change our menus regularly to give our customers new and interesting menu options. Also, because I work across so many different types of cuisines with the Alemre Group (Spanish, Mexican, Italian), our dessert creations pay homage to the roots of each restaurant, usually classics with a modern twist.
