Martin Krištofík

About me

I was born in Most and now live in a small village near Louny, surrounded by hills and countryside, which I love. Cooking and baking have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

After training as a cook at the Secondary School of Gastronomy and Hotel Services in Most, I continued with a two-year follow-up programme in confectionery. Over the years, I have worked in kitchens both small and large, gaining experience in many different types of catering. In 2010, I won the Chef of the Year competition in institutional catering, which remains one of the important milestones in my professional journey.

I am a true enthusiast when it comes to cooking and baking. At AMA School, I enjoy using every festive occasion as an excuse to prepare something special – whether it is a celebration cake, traditional pastries for Majáles, St Martin’s treats, Christmas sweet bread or Christmas cookies. I simply enjoy creating food that makes people happy, and it is even better when the children join in.

I like experimenting with new recipes, side dishes, flavours and combinations. I believe that even healthy ingredients or foods that are not always immediately popular with children can become interesting and delicious when prepared in the right way. For me, cooking is not only about following recipes, but also about creativity, curiosity and finding new ways to make good food appealing.

One of the things I enjoy most at AMA School is the direct contact with the children. I like joking with them through the kitchen serving window, talking to them and hearing their reactions. It always makes me happy when they come back for seconds – or even thirds.

I also love order and organisation in the kitchen, so I must admit that a very long queue at the serving window can occasionally make me a little nervous :-). Fortunately, a bit of humour usually helps.

Outside work, I enjoy Tuscany, gardening, baking and creating cakes and desserts, sometimes based on wonderfully crazy requests. I like challenges, creativity and the feeling that good food can bring people together.