Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Con Mum’ delving deep into the alleged scams of Dionne Marie Hanna against not only her son but also strangers, we get a documentary film unlike any other. That’s because it explores precisely how the alleged swindler reportedly took advantage of the kindness of others for her own financial gain without any regard for the chaos she was causing. However, her son Graham Hornigold’s friend Juan Pablo Cloubri didn’t fall into her alleged trap; instead, he helped his friend snap out of it as he realized things were going too far.
Juan Cloubri Worked Hard to Achieve His Childhood Dream of Working in the Pastry Industry
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Juan Cloubri first developed an interest in the world of sweets and confectionaries when he was just a young boy with a passion for ice creams. However, it was when he used one of his grandmother’s recipes to make ice cream at home that he really became hooked, so all his time was subsequently spent dreaming about how he could one day transform it into a career. Therefore, he enrolled at a few pastry schools in his hometown before also earning his degree in Culinary Arts from the University of Alicante in Spain.
Juan’s first job in the months to follow was as a Pastry and Bakery Chef at the local Bengal Restaurant, after which he moved to Europe to learn the principles of ice cream formulation and flavor combinations. He spent 10 months learning different techniques, the significance of preparation, and team building as the Assistant Pastry Chef of Paco Torreblanca at Pastelería Hotel, after which he became a Consulting Chef at O’Farrell Restaurant. From there, he spread his wings to become the Head Pastry Chef at The Foundry Restaurant in London, England, where he honed his skills to such an extent that he was able to shine through.
In fact, that’s how Juan landed the spot of Pastry Sous Chef at the renowned Hakkasan Group in 2014, where he first came across then-Executive Pastry Chef Graham Hornigold. He actually impressed his managers, the higher-ups, and all his colleagues to such an extent that he was promoted to Head Pastry Chef at HKK London within two years, shortly after which he was promoted again. In January 2017, he was given the honor of becoming the Executive Pastry Chef of the Group’s Asian Luxury Market in the US, and he thrived there for almost two years. Juan did return to London for a short while in 2019 to be the Group Executive Pastry Chef at Rhubarb Food but soon moved on.
Juan Cloubri Had a Weird Feeling About Graham Hornigold’s Mother
It was late in 2020 when Juan got a call from his former boss and close friend Graham that he was in Zurich, Germany, alongside his mother for some work. By this point, the professional pastry chef was serving as the Pastry Chef Head of the renowned Chocolate Academy in the city, where his responsibilities included researching and trying different methods to always be on top of trends and to train the next generation on the same. So, of course, he went to meet the duo, just to quickly realize they were not only living in the most expensive hotel in the city but also letting their expenses flow through rivers, whether in terms of the food they ordered, the wine they drank, or the rooms they had booked.
Nevertheless, once Graham explained that his mother was allegedly a successful businesswoman and the alleged illegitimate child of the former Sultan of Bruier, he realized they could afford to do so. Juan was also told the truth about how they were in the city so that Graham could sign some inheritance papers since his mother claimed to have 3 types of terminal cancer, so he was even invited to tag along with them in meetings. Because of this and because of the hospitality he displayed, Graham’s mother offered to leave him something too, just for his former boss to suggest €3-4 million.
Dionne Hanna settled on €3.5 million before saying she was going to buy him a house too, but after a few tours of luxurious villas, Juan said he didn’t have the money to afford to maintain these homes or the interest in living in such opulent places. That’s when Dionne suggested she’d raise his inheritance to €7 million before talking to him alone and asking him to give her some cash because she was having trouble accessing her international accounts owing to COVID-19. From then on, he was wary, especially since she had asked him not to tell Graham anything, so a few months later, when he was approached by Graham’s partner, and she expressed he was now drowning in debt because of Dionne, he helped open his eyes and made him see that his mother was actually swindling him.
Juan Cloubri is Seemingly Living His Best Life These Days
While breaking the news, Juan’s heart was breaking too since it was hard for him to see his friend suffer, considering he knew of his past and his financial standings, but he knew he did the right thing. In fact, today, Graham is still grateful that he had Juan by his side because he knows that the pastry chef not only saved him from drowning into further debt but also helped him rebuild and maintain stability in his personal life after everything was said and done. The fact that Juan did so while focusing on his own career is also incredible, especially since he made a major move around that time.
In 2023, Juan decided to go his own way and evolved into an International Pastry and Gelato Consultant while still residing in Zurich, Switzerland. As if that’s not enough, he remains an external guest professor plus consultant at the Chocolate Academy Center, all the while having developed and launched an entirely separate venture. Juan is now the proud creator of Gelart, the very first app of its kind since it is dedicated to the formulation of ice cream. There’s no denying Juan has achieved a lot in his career, but he admittedly remains ambitious and hopes to one day compete at World Chocolate Masters while also continuing to hold workshops and spread pastry knowledge across the globe.
Read More: Junyan and Markus: Where Are the Alleged Con Victims Now?
