The Stories Behind: From ITE graduate to vice-president of Marche’s parent company, and how it all began with crepes

SINGAPORE — When I worked part-time at a cinema after completing my studies in secondary school, I would often stand beside a male colleague, watching as he operated the gigantic popcorn machine. 
Due to the imposing size of the equipment, popcorn-making was a task typically reserved for the men on the team. Seventeen-year-old me could only watch and wait, listening for the rapid succession of pops, which signalled that the kernels were almost ready to serve.
“How do you know how much corn and butter to use?” I remember asking him. 
He explained that everyone had to follow the prescribed recipe and they simply did as they were told. If it had been me, I imagine I would have done the same, simply following instructions without questions to get the job done.
More than a decade has passed since those days of earning extra pocket money at the cinema.
Yet, I recently found myself revisiting this memory during an interview with Mr Jensen Low, 43, at Marche Movenpick Marketplace Restaurant in Suntec City mall. He gave me a taste of crepe-making, using the ready-made batter from the recipe he had improvised years ago.
As he shared his story, I was struck by how, given his drive to experiment, he has constantly sought to improve things since day one, turning the existing crepe recipe into something he could call his own. 
His innovative spirit carried him from humble beginnings as an Institute of Technical Education (ITE) student with a National ITE Certificate (Nitec) in baking to his current role as vice-president of food service and operations at Marche’s parent company Lagardere Travel Retail (formerly Marche International). 
Marche is a Swiss-based global catering company with a range of restaurant brands in six countries. Its presence in Singapore includes several Marche Movenpick restaurants.
The crepe-cooking process he created in 2008 would then be adopted by Marche restaurants worldwide — the very process he taught me under his guidance during our interview on Aug 22. 
His approach allows diners to catch a whiff of the tantalising aroma of freshly made crepes, a marked improvement over the previous recipe, which he found too subtle.
In less than three years after joining the company, he was promoted to assistant general manager, a testament to his work ethic.
Even Prime Minister Lawrence Wong gave him a shoutout at this year’s National Day Rally, saying that he wanted to see more success stories such as Mr Low’s, where “we don’t pigeonhole or typecast people based on their backgrounds or the schools they go to”.
Before asking him to give me a brief lesson on crepe-making, I asked Mr Low about his childhood and what drew him to cooking. 
He described himself as a “naughty and cheeky” child who played more than he studied. 
His early childhood memories included watching Yan Can Cook, a Chinese-oriented cooking television show that started in 1982, and marvelling at how his mum skillfully worked in the kitchen, preparing all three meals a day.  
The constant sound of sizzling food and the clanging of crockery at home captured his imagination and curiosity.
“The sound, the sizzle — you know, when you’re stirring and flipping the food — it’s just like when my mum cooked vegetables.
“When the hot oil hit the garlic or shallots, and she added the veggies, that noise would start instantly — you could hear it right away,” he told me. 
Despite his fascination, Mr Low said that he did not seriously consider cooking as a career until he finished National Service (NS), which he said was the turning point of his life. 
“I regretted not studying hard when I was younger because I couldn’t get a diploma or the A-Levels, but NS helped shape my maturity and mindset,” he said. 
“I realised I needed to look for ways to enhance my skills to build a career. I’ve always learned best through hands-on experience, and I felt that a Nitec in baking gave me a clear direction.” 
When Mr Low first joined Marche in 2006, serving at Marche Movenpick Marketplace Restaurant in VivoCity mall, he was struck by its open-concept design, which reminded him of the bustling wet market he used to visit with his mother.
Marche’s sensory-rich environment, designed to engage all five senses, evoked memories of that time.
“I’m always attracted to (things that stimulate the five senses). The colours. The looks. The food. The cooking process. The smell. The touch. All while the chef talks to you while he cooks,” he recalled. 
One of Mr Low’s first tasks was to enhance this concept. While thinking of ways to refine what was already there, he soon realised that the crepe batter was quite “basic”, comprising simple ingredients such as sugar and olive oil. 
He said that it lacked an aroma that would make it more tantalising to diners. “So I adjusted the recipe to bring out more fragrance. One of the things I did was use garlic oil for a richer aroma.”
Perfecting the recipe involved a lot of trial and error. It took him a year of experimenting with different ingredients and measurements to get the ratio just right. For instance, too much flour would make it too dry.
His work caught the attention of Marche International’s chief executive officer, Mr Oliver Altherr, who was impressed by the final form of the recipe. 
When Mr Low demonstrated how to make crepes, he guided me through the process, stressing that “it’s all in the wrist movement” as he showed me how to spread the batter evenly over the stovetop. 
As a total noob in the kitchen, let alone a crepe stall in a popular restaurant, this whole process was daunting to me. When I tried to circle my wrist, my entire hand and arm started moving because I was so focused on spreading the batter. 
If I had worked here, I would’ve likely followed the original recipe from start to finish, which made Mr Low’s feat of improving the entire process, and the recipe, all the more impressive to me.
The successful implementation of Mr Low’s new crepe-making process led to its adoption in Marche restaurants worldwide.
“I feel happy and proud that he recognised my work. It motivated me to improve myself so I can go further,” he said. 
True enough, Mr Low’s career took him beyond Singapore. He was deployed to Switzerland to conduct training for employeess and worked as an operations director in Canada for about two years. 
Now that he is back in Singapore and a vice-president of Marche’s parent company, Mr Low’s success culminated in a mention by the prime minister during the National Day Rally. 
I had to ask him about his reaction to Mr Wong’s appreciation of his achievements and career progress.
Mr Low said: “I was shocked. (His team) gave me a heads-up that I would be mentioned, but I never expected such a speech and to receive such recognition from him.”
In his speech on Aug 18, Mr Wong said that he was “especially inspired” by Mr Low and declared: “Well done!” 
Mr Wong added: “I want to see a Singapore that produces many more success stories like Jensen’s. Where we don’t pigeonhole or typecast people based on their backgrounds or the schools they go to.
“Where everyone can strive and excel, take pride in what they do, and be recognised for their efforts and work.” 
Given the bias or stigma that ITE students sometimes face — often due to perceptions that they are less academically inclined than their peers in polytechnics or junior colleges — Mr Low has a message for his fellow students: Always believe in yourself and never give up. 
To him, success is less about where you start and more about your determination and mindset.
“Believe in yourself. Always be positive. The decision is up to you — whether you want to be successful or not,” he said. 
Throughout my conversation with Mr Low, his sense of self-actualisation came through in his answers, spoken with conviction. This is a man whose persistence and self-belief propelled him to where he is now. 
I may not have had the same background as him, but I can only aspire to achieve half as much as he has by the time I reach his age. After all, how many people can say they’ve inspired the prime minister?