- People
- 22/05/2026
Behind the Scenes | Yanick Sanches, head chef sports café
From technicians to schedulers, and from IT specialists to catering staff—it takes many hands to keep TU/e running smoothly. But who are the people behind the scenes? Cursor puts them in the spotlight. This time: Yanick Sanches, head chef of the sports café in the Students Sport Centre.
He was born and raised in sunny Cape Verde, but has been happily living in the Netherlands for the past few years. Before settling in Eindhoven, he lived in Portugal for twelve years. There, he earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Human Resources & Management, but through a side job in hospitality, he discovered that his passion for cooking was even greater.
What time do you clock in?
“Usually I’m the first one in, coming it at 8.45 in the morning. I then start opening the kitchen, turning everything on. I also check the dates and quality of the food, if everything is refilled and what kind of prep we need for the day.”
What does your job involve?
“We work with two chefs: me and Sofia, she’s the sous-chef. And then there are some student cooks, who work here as a side job. They mainly help with the prep and easy things, like snacks, sandwiches or plating.”
“The kitchen opens at 9.15, so orders can start coming in pretty soon. From that point on my whole day is just cooking. We make almost everything fresh, so it’s a lot of work.”
“In between orders, I also spend my day preparing the dinner dishes. Since I usually leave at 5 o’clock, I have to make sure everything is ready to go for the people that work the evening shift, so all the have to do is plate when orders come in.”
How did you end up in this job?
“At some point I wanted to leave Portugal. I had a setback after opening my own restaurant there, but that was in 2020, when Covid happened. So we had to close the doors very quickly, and I really wanted some financial stability.”
“At first I went to Norway for a temporary job in a five-star hotel at a ski resort. When returning to Portugal I told my girlfriend: ‘Maybe we should move to Norway.’ But since she is Dutch she suggested to try the Netherlands instead.”
"I loved it here right away. At first, I worked somewhere else, but pretty soon someone I knew told me the sports café was opening a new kitchen and needed a chef. So I sent my CV, stopped by for an interview, and it was a great fit immediately.”
What do you enjoy most about your job?
“The work times are really nice. Usually in a restaurant you work really late, but here I’m able to work ‘normal times’, similar to office hours. That makes it easier to have a personal life outside of work.”
“And besides the times, I really like the people here. Not just my colleagues from the sports café, but also from the gym for example. They usually come in everyday to have a coffee and a chat.”
And what do you enjoy least?
“It’s not something I dislike, but it’s something that is challenging. Nowadays everything is very expensive, also our suppliers. So it can be a challenge to sell dishes at a student price, while still making a flavorful dish. But when we find the right balance and make it happen, it feels very rewarding.”
What time do you clock out?
“Usually around 5 in the afternoon. One day a week I start work later, at noon, and I work until 9 in the evening."
What do you do after you clock out?
“To be honest, I enjoy being at home a lot. So it happens very often that I don’t make any plans, just relaxing or reading some manga. But when I do make plans, I like to go to restaurants with my girlfriend and try new food, or hang out with friends. And besides, I enjoy travelling.”
This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.
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