I had never been “behind the scenes” of a hotel before, so when I went to meet Stephen Gatt, it was a real eye-opener. Beyond the polished doors lies another world where people are busily chopping up vegetables, carefully preparing hors d’oevures and running to and fro as they race against time to get everything ready.

This is the world of a five-star kitchen and supervising it all is the executive chef, a mere 28-years-old, the youngest on the island.

Stephen Gatt is a Maltese-Australian who returned to Malta with his family when he was 15. The schooling system was too different for him to cope and he lost interest. The only subject he seemed to do well in was Home Economics so after Form Five he enrolled at ITS (Institute of Tourism Studies) and discovered that catering was his line.

He began his four-year apprenticeship at another five-star hotel then moved on to being a commis chef. In 1997 he joined the Westin Dragonara as a pastry chef. After a year he went to the West Virgin Islands, came back and basically worked his way up the ranks until he was offered his present position.

Stephen explained that the various titles (commis chef, junior sous chef, sous chef, pastry chef, chef de partie) all denote a particular level of expertise. He feels he moved up the career ladder so quickly because he worked in every single position, which gave him an understanding of each aspect of catering.

“If I’m talking to a chef de partie, I’ve been there, I know what that job is so I can understand him.”

Another vital factor in his advancement was that he was willing to put in very long hours and give everything to his work.

“Anyone, not just a chef, who is committed to achieving something in life, would do that extra bit. I used to work a 70-hour-week. I’d work my break, come in on my off day. Now as the Executive Chef, it’s not the delegation which is the challenge, it’s the operations part of it.”

Last but not least, he credits the fact that he received excellent training and discipline from various foreign chefs who expected nothing but the best.

“You get the best out of all of them, and that helps you become a better chef.”

As the Executive Chef, Stephen is in charge of food production, including menu planning, purchasing, costing and planning work schedules. Under him is a staff of around 73 people, including four sous chefs who are in command of the actual production and the minute-by-minute supervision of the staff. Then comes the chef de partie, in charge of particular stations, a pastry chef, the commis, the cooks, kitchen helpers, stewards and cleaners.

In the case of the Westin, the sous chefs each have an outlet for which they are responsible (such as Quadro and Palios), each with its own particular cuisine.

The set-up brings to mind that BBC sitcom Chef! Stephen, however, assured me that he is nothing like the tyrannical character played by Lenny Henry who is constantly shouting at his staff.

“I can take a certain amount of pressure. You have to make sure that everyone is comfortable in his position and everything is running smoothly, especially in the peak season. You have to be on the ball. In the winter season, we have time to plan our menus and get organised.”

The time is 4pm and the kitchen is in full swing. In Stephen’s office there is a list of the entire week’s menus so that the sous chefs can give instructions on what needs to be prepared. On the day I interviewed Stephen, the kitchen was also preparing for a wedding, something else which comes under the responsibility of a sous chef.

“Right now they will be closing off all the items for the wedding and doing some preparation for tomorrow. The preparation for tonight’s hotel dinner began last night, when the chef de partie would have prepared his “prep list”. Everyone has his particular job and they all know what they need to do.”

In fact, during the tour that Stephen later gave me of the kitchen, this was very much in evidence as things were moving along like clockwork.

As in any business, the secret is to find good staff:

“You need people who have a basic knowledge, but the most important thing is that they want to learn and have a positive attitude. Hygiene is essential and the appearance and personal grooming of a chef is important. The ability to work in a team is crucial.”

A typical day for Stephen starts at 9am and can end as late as midnight; it’s a good thing he has a very understanding fiancée. Understandably, their engagement party was held at the Westin with Stephen taking care of all the food, and their wedding is also taking place there.

“I have some great ideas for the wedding, it’s going to be very special.”

Of course it will be – after all, he is the chef.