Appel (Reviva & Celia) showed up in the late 1980s with her unbelievable French desserts and changed the face of Israeli storefronts forever. Raviva Appel, the queen of the local patisserie, has raised many generations of bakers, and doesn’t plan to let cancer stop her now.
At the age of 72, when most other culinary professionals have long since hung their aprons, Appel is still the engine that fuels the brand: Reviva & Celia. Until recently, she would arrive every morning at 6:30 A.M. sharp to the patisserie “because at these hours I see everything. I can pass by a cart with profiteroles that are not all uniform and do something about it - I only accept perfection.”
In the world of selfies, Instagram, and self-glorification, it is rare to find a woman who is able to maintain her professional status and gain appreciation from so many people in the field, yet does not want to make a big fuss about it. As far as she is concerned, if she can get up every morning hungry for work, keep the business running at her high standards, and create uncompromising desserts and pastries, then that’s a job well done.
How has she survived and thrived for so many years?
Appel regularly travels to Paris to feel the pulse of the pastry capital, she hosts the greatest chefs around, subscribes to magazines, stays updated and interested, all in order to continue her innovation.
This is also the legacy she has passed onto her 200 workers, the well-oiled force behind her restaurants, delicatessen, pizzeria, and bakery. Appel shares her gratitude for receiving this award: “Thank you, this is very exciting. I always felt that men were being valued much more in this world, and male chefs were constantly invited to talk as experts, yet I have never been invited to talk about anything, except this specific prize. I am not offended and I have not stopped working, but I think that my role as a woman chef and expert deserves more interest. This Time Out award came as a gift.”
Reviva & Celia Restaurant, 1 Ha-Meyasdim St, Ramat HaSharon (03-7509500); Restaurant, 10 Nisim Aloni, Tel Aviv (03-7509505); Épicerie, 10 Nisim Aloni, Tel Aviv (03-7509508)