° 18/02/1985, Ostend
Shannah Zeebroek has always followed her own path. Fascinated by chemistry, she first chose a career as a pharmacy assistant, but soon felt the urge to become a French, history, and non-denominational ethics teacher. Until a part-time job in the hospitality industry changed her life forever… Thanks to that job, she met chef Willem Hiele, with whom she ran the eponymous restaurant in Koksijde from 2012. As a self-taught front-of-house professional, she grew into a strong hostess and sommelier. At the end of 2021, she embarked on a new path.
While fellow Ostendian Willem brought his North Sea cuisine to a brutalist villa near Ostend, Shannah chose another institution in the heart of her hometown: Café du Parc. Since the summer of 2023, she has been breathing new life into this iconic Art Deco brasserie from 1929. As a sommelier and hostess, she knows how to create the perfect match between that one wine, the right company, and a relaxed moment. In her life and work, she follows her intuition about the world. She shares that same voracious curiosity with her partner, actor and musician Tom Vermeir, with whom she is now writing a new chapter in the city dear to her heart.
© Café du Parc
