I'm
↪ Paula Steinegger

Growing up across cultures:
↪ Hungary, the Philippines, Spain and Germany.
Four countries, four cultures. That’s where I spent my childhood and teenage years. That’s where I grew up. Every playground looked a little different.
My childhood? A beautiful tangle of different cultures, languages and emotions from around the world. My parents introduced me into two different nationalities into my life — Belgian and German.

I started my training as a chef. Where? On the TUI Cruise ships.
You couldn’t get much closer to the real working world than that, right in the middle of the daily hustle and bustle. Seven days a week, no breaks, no weekends. It was pure hands-on experience.
It was a demanding time that pushed me to my limits. Perseverance and ambition were essential. Was it worth it? Absolutely!
I learnt a lot — but most importantly, I learnt where my limits are and how to push through when things got difficult.

My first position as a patissier specialized in healthy, vegan and gluten-free pastry, was at Rosewood Vienna and Rosewood Schloss Fuschl in Austria.
Rosewood Vienna was recognized internationally in 2024, including by Travel + Leisure and Falstaff, while Rosewood Schloss Fuschl received Three MICHELIN Keys in 2024.

During my time at Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, I worked closely with the Asaya Spa, developing healthy, vegan and gluten-free pastry creations tailored to its philosophy and guests.

This experience allowed me to combine high-level pastry techniques with modern dietary requirements — creating refined desserts without compromising on taste, texture or presentation.

At just 23 years old, I took on my first position as Head Pastry Chef at SHA Wellness Clinic in Altea, Spain — an internationally recognized health and wellness destination combining medical expertise, nutrition and holistic wellbeing.

It was a major step in my career and an opportunity to further develop my vision of healthy, conscious pastry within a completely new environment.

Later that summer, my journey took me somewhere very different: to MasQi – the Energy House, a boutique wellness hotel nestled in the Sierra de Mariola, where yoga, meditation, Ayurveda and organic gourmet cuisine come together in a holistic approach to wellbeing.

As the Head Pastry Chef here, I was responsible for establishing and developing the entire pastry concept for MasQi’s new opening in Alicante — from organization and recipe development to production and implementation.
An opportunity to build something from the ground up.

Early 2026, MasQi officially reopened its doors — and with it, the pastry concept I had developed from the ground up became a reality.

A vegan, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free pastry selection was introduced to the guests. The response was overwhelmingly positive. It was incredibly rewarding to see that pastry created with a focus on health could still surprise, inspire and, most importantly, bring people joy.

Summer 2026, I decide to leave MasQi and take the next step in my journey: building my own business.

My goal is to share what I’ve learned through masterclasses, consulting and pastry development. To show how vegan, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free pastry can work without compromising on creativity, texture or indulgence.