Sebastien Schmitt
Pastry Chef
Chef Sebastien Schmitt, referred to as Sebass, is Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard’s very own French Pastry Chef.
Chef joined the team originally in 2022, left briefly in 2024 and recently came back in May of 2025. He first came to Vail in the winter of 2009/2010 on a J1 Visa with the Mirabelle. After that experience he spent some time in Australia and came back to Vail where he started with Splendido in 2015. He spent 5 years with Splendido and then two years of private catering before joining the Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard team in 2022.
Originally from Colmar, Alsace, France, Chef Sebastien learned to love all things sweet from his family, but especially his grandmother.
Chef started his schooling at 14 and finished school at 19. He has earned his Brevet Education Professional (BEP) as Chef (2 years), Baccalaureate Professional (BAC) as Chef (2 years), and Pastry Mention Option of Plated Dessert (1 year).
His favorite things to do outside of the kitchen (other than tormenting the team) are spending quality time with his family and friends, especially if that includes skiing, river time and being outdoors. And obviously a good dinner is high up on his priority list.
He lives by the motto “it is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war” and “the world is *insert strong French word* eat more gluten.”