Emmanuel Mollois

Emmanuel lost his battle with cancer at the age of just 46. He passed away on the 6 January 2017. He leaves behind three young children Zlatan, Louis and Maya and his lovely wife Gordana.
Emmanuel touched many of our lives, be it at his restaurant or cafe, during his cooking courses, with his books or on TV, or in just trying to catch up with him on his bicycle. To others, he was part of our extended family in Australia.

In their time of need, we would like to express how much Emmanuel meant to us. Many of the happy memories Emmanuel's children have of their father are here in Perth. We would like to raise funds towards a trip to Australia for Gordana and the kids when the time is right... to relive the memories of their dad and strengthen old bonds they made during their time here. Something for the kids to look forward to in their darkest hour. Funds raised will also be used to assist with the children's education.

In the spirit of Emmanuel's passion of raising money for charity you may wish to also make a donation towards 'Sock it to Sarcoma!'


EMMANUEL'S STORY ...

"It was with much sadness that friends of Emmanuel here in Australia learned of his passing in the early hours of Friday 6 January 2017 after a courageous battle with multiple myeloma. Emmanuel and his wife Gordana had recently returned to live in their native France after 20 years in Australia. During that time Emmanuel forged a very successful career as one of Australia's pre-eminent pastry chefs, a passion which saw him become a business owner, media personality, published author and teacher. During their time here Emmanuel and Gordana produced three cherished "Aussie" children, Zlatan, Louis and Maya. They contributed generously to the community and made lasting friendships across Australia.

The early days
Emmanuel was born in the Loire Valley and grew up in the Vendée, the youngest of eight children. Emmanuel's father stirred his son's passion for food by sending his creative son to spend holidays with his uncle, a caterer. After undertaking his military service, Emmanuel completed his apprenticeship in the Vendée much to his father's pride. It was then that he met Gordana whom he described as his "other passion". Emmanuel worked in various restaurants throughout France before moving to Paris to further his career, working at some highly acclaimed restaurants, including Pavillon Puebla and Petrus. It was at Petrus under the guidance of head chef Jacky Louaze that Emmanuel (reluctantly at first!) developed his skills as a patissier. Emmanuel described his time there as the defining moment of his career.

The 'year' in Australia
In 1996, Emmanuel and Gordana sought a break from five years hard work in Paris and decided to travel the world. They left their families in France assuring them that they would return in a year. However, having landed in Melbourne, the Australian lifestyle soon took hold. With very limited English, Emmanuel found work at La Brasserie, South Yarra and, later, at The Willows at St Kilda. After two very enjoyable years in Melbourne, Emmanuel and Gordana chased the sun across the Nullarbor. They soon settled into Perth where Emmanuel's career flourished. As head pastry chef at Alain Fabrègues' acclaimed The Loose Box in Mundaring Emmanuel won numerous awards. Emmanuel took an opportunity to step out on his own in 2000, partnering to create the award-winning Le Paris Brest Patisserie Francaise in Perth’s hills. Three years later Emmanuel joined with good friends Michael and Jane Grove to establish the Choux Café patisserie in Swanbourne — crowned ‘best in the west’ by Perth’s Sunday Times. It was at this time that Emmanuel published his first book Et Voila!, and became a regular guest on Poh's Kitchen. In 2012, Emmanuel joined with Alain Fabrègues to open Bistro des Artistes, an authentic French bistro in Subiaco. In 2013, Emmanuel published his second book, Patissier. In 2014 Emmanuel again ventured out on his own, establishing a successful multi-faceted business comprising professional consultancy, wholesaling, farmers market stalls and cooking classes.

The cancer diagnosis and treatment
In late 2014 a minor fall while teaching son Louis to ride a bike resulted in a broken arm. Concerned at the ease with which the humerus broke, Emmanuel's doctor referred him for tests that revealed the presence of multiple myeloma, a common but aggressive cancer that he had been living with for months. Emmanuel underwent intensive treatment including radiotherapy, chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. Emmanuel had been a longtime supporter of cancer research and therefore was well aware of the battle he faced. An avid cyclist, Emmanuel joined with good friend Jenny Ackland to take part in the Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2012, raising money for Sock it to Sarcoma. They did the same again in 2013 and 2014. After Emmanuel's own diagnosis, the duo formed a team for the 2015 event, Les Copains, who raised money for the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. Emmanuel completed the event (200km over two days) despite having undergone intensive treatment.

The return to France
Despite his love of Australia, Emmanuel accepted an offer of a position in late 2015, a move that enabled him to return the family to France and to pursue his career. He was very excited by the opportunity. As he had always done, Emmanuel continued to work very hard and the family embraced their 'new' home. However, showing that his ties to Australia remained strong, in September 2016 Emmanuel proudly became an Australian citizen, travelling to Australia House in London for the citizenship ceremony.
Regrettably during this time, Emmanuel's cancer returned and he underwent further intensive treatment. Optimistic and courageous as ever, Emmanuel battled to the end with the support of his loving family.

Support from afar
Emmanuel was energetic, passionate, generous, loving, funny and humble. His greatest joy was his family. His friends and colleagues in Australia want to acknowledge him and support his family in a tangible way. We have started this mycause.com campaign with the goal of raising funds to support Zlatan, Louis and Maya into the future, particularly for their education. We would be very grateful for your contribution however large or small."

...with love, 'Les Copains'