Veteran chef Leo Betschart has stood the heat for 40 years -- but now he's decided to get out of the kitchen.

The Swiss-born chef retires next month from the Bermuda College after 16 years as a lecturer and 40 years in the local culinary industry.

"I have fond memories of my time in the industry,'' he reflected.

Over the years, countless students and chefs have benefited from Chef Betschart's experience and European training.

"I did an apprenticeship as a pastry chef and then worked for two years,'' he recalled. "Once I did my mandatory 17 weeks in the army in Switzerland, I spent two years as an apprentice chef in Lausanne, Switzerland.'' After starting his career as a chef in Switzerland, Chef Betschart went to Belgium for a six-month sojourn with the 1958 World's Fair.

"Following the World's Fair, I went to London in 1959 where I spent 16 months working in two small hotels,'' he said.

Finally, Chef Betschart made his way to Bermuda in 1960 to take up the position as assistant head chef at the Bermudiana Hotel in Hamilton.

"I was assistant head chef for two years and then spent three years as executive head chef,'' he said. "We often served famous guest -- John Wayne stayed at the Bermudiana and for the Kennedy-Macmillan conference, the Bermudiana was where most of the dignitaries stayed.

"It was different in Bermuda back then -- it was a different clientele. They stayed longer and you had a lot of repeat guests. People would come year after year and spend the winter months in Bermuda, people from the US, Canada and England. You really got the chance to know the people you were cooking for.'' After five years with the Bermudiana, Mr. Betschart was wooed to the Belmont Hotel.

"They asked me to take over as head chef in 1964. I was there for 20 years until 1984,'' he recalled.

In 1984, Chef Betschart began his 16-year teaching career at the Bermuda College.

"The biggest reward is seeing the students graduate and become a success,'' said the proud lecturer. "I still have contact with a lot of them.

"The basics always stay the same, so I teach my students the basics. If your foundation is good, you can easily build on top of that.'' According to Chef Betschart, being European is not the main ingredient in the recipe for success in the culinary world. He insisted that aspiring chefs, trained at the College could easily hold their own against their counterparts in the rest of the world.

"Nationality doesn't make the chef, its the training,'' he asserted. "We have good facilities here at the college, its on a small scale but they are good.

"The hospitality industry requires a lot of dedication,'' he pointed out.

"Its not a job you enter just to make money, you have to be devoted. The rewards aren't quick but if you stick with it in the long run it will be worth it.'' And Chef Betschart advised aspiring local chefs to seize any opportunity to gain experience overseas.

"If someone has the chance to get some foreign experience, do it,'' he said.

"If you are not able to go abroad, then change jobs so you will gain the experience of working in different environments -- small, medium and large hotels and various restaurants. That way at least you gain exposure since everywhere has a different system.'' Chef Betschart getting out of the kitchen As with any profession, Chef Betschart said the culinary industry had underwent tremendous changes during his career, bending to new trends and more knowledgeable patrons.

"There are always different trends, for example a few years ago it was nouvelle cuisine which had less food and focused on the presentation,'' he said. "Now we are seeing more healthy cooking since people are more conscious about what they eat. Vegetarian dishes are becoming popular and sushi is being served everywhere. A chef has to be able to adapt to the changes.'' When it comes to his own tastes, Chef Betschart said he preferred the main course, usually consisting of fish, rather than dessert.

"I love fish, smoked salmon and avocado soup,'' revealed the keen diver and avid fisherman. "I'm not a real dessert person but I do enjoy homemade ice cream and I like a good cheese cake.

Although he getting out of the kitchen, Mr. Betschart said he will still lead a busy life during his retirement thanks to his role as the Honorary Swiss Consul in Bermuda.

"I still have a lot of consul work to do,'' said Chef Betschart, who has represented his homeland's interests on the Island since 1983. "There are quite a few Swiss companies here and a lot of people travel to Switzerland.

"I also plan to do some travelling, see more of the world.''