OPSOMER ANTOINE MARIE THOMAS - 1st Dec 2020
Be it at the meat
or cheese counter, you might have found yourself assisted by the
ever-so-affable Opsomer Antoine Marie Thomas, or Antoine for short.
Started out as a
butcher at Huber’s in November 2017 (and promoted to butcher supervisor a year
later), Antoine has in fact, moved to Singapore
slightly before that, having lived in France prior. It was in France (south of
Burgundy, in fact) that Antoine picked up an interest in the culinary arts,
working as a Charcuterie / Traiteur apprentice at a tender age of 14,
just after secondary school! His perseverance and genuine passion for the
culinary arts saw him graduating with his 1st CAP (Professional
Certification of Aptitude) in Charcuterie / Traiteur in July 2016. Not
yet satisfied, Antoine went on to learn the fine skill of butchery, handling
whole cow, lamb, veal and pork for the first time – the
whole carcass from head to tail! A year later, Antoine would graduate
with a 2nd CAP, this time as a butcher.
The youngest at
Huber’s Butchery at the age of 21, Antoine displays confidence beyond his age.
Known for his sense of humour and making the customers and fellow butchers feel
comfortable around him, Antoine related that his strongest interest lies in
understanding things – knowing the answers to the how and the why, and if he
can work towards achieving mastery in his interests.
Read on to learn
more about this exceptional young man whom we are fortunate to have as a member
of our family!
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- What got you interested in the
culinary arts at such a young age?
Two things: I love
food! Eating is such a pleasure, and I used to cook my lunch alone when I was
9, after my parents taught me how. Another thing is that my grade at school
weren’t that great; I was good at maths and biology but very bad in language
and history. For me, the school system just isn't for everyone!
I did take up a charcuterie
/ traiteur apprenticeship after finishing secondary
school. I would make a lot of terrine/pate, hams, or even prepare food from
starter to dessert for weddings or big events hosting hundreds of people.
- There must be a story as to how you
found yourself in Singapore – it’s definitely quite far from France!
I came to Singapore on September 2017, to join my family that
had already lived here in fact! I was 18 years old and with poor English
vocabulary; now I’m 21 and very much enjoy my time here.
- What is the best part of butchery
work that you look forward to every morning?
I like it when
there are things to debone, a list of orders to complete or a busy period to
come (such as Lunar New Year and, of course, Christmas). I crave the feeling of
achievement when everything is done – to be able to think back and say,
"Whoa, we’ve done it”.
- Tell us one fun fact about the life
of a butcher!
I think more so in
Europe (it hasn't affected me much here in Singapore), when I say I am working
as a butcher, people tend to be very surprised because I don't fit the image
they have in mind of a butcher, which is more of a big tough guy with a big
belly!
- I’m curious, what do you do to relax
and unwind after a long day?
I particularly like
reading. From novel, manga to comic books, reading is always a nice activity to
do.
- Any particular book you’re deep into
right now?
Every week since I
started reading it 2 years ago, I’ve been catching up with new chapters of One
Piece (Japanese manga ongoing since 1997)!
- You said your interest lies in
understanding things – how they work and why they are the way they are.
Any particular field you’re currently learning about at the moment?
I am currently
interested in how the Mandarin and Japanese languages
work; it’s very funny how they have similar writing but completely different
reading! Then, there are all the dialects spoken between colleagues at Huber’s
which are not easy to follow – but after some time, who knows.
- If you could visit France again
after the current situation gets better, where would be the first place
you’d go to?
There aren't many
things I miss in France that I can't get here, fortunately. I think I would go visit few of my family and friends that I can't reach
by phone.
- Share with us a French phrase to woo
the readers!
Simple comme
bonjour, which
means ‘as easy as saying hello’. Save it for things that seem to look very easy
to do 😉
