David was born in Paris and began his apprenticeship in La Colombes at the age of fifteen.

This was followed by what was to be a six-month stint in Cannes however he stayed four years and worked in such establishments as the famous Carlton Intercontinental.

In 1989 he left for Switzerland where he worked at La Fontaine, near Gstaad.

It was here that he had his first taste of the country that was to become his home.

He met a group of Australians who convinced him it was the place to be and he applied for residency on the spot.

Waiting for his visa to come through, David returned to France and worked in the oldest fine dining room in Paris - the 2 Michelin star Ledoyen, built in 1792.

David very appropriately arrived in Sydney Australia on Anzac Day in 1991. Straight away he took up a position in The Treasury at the Intercontinental and this is where he met his wife, Sohani who would become his partner in the creation of the Bitton brand. A year later, David found himself on beautiful Hayman Island at La Fontaine. He then went back to Melbourne and his love of old and established fine dining, at the Windsor Hotel in The Grande Dining Room. In 1996 David took up the Head Chef position at The Gekko restaurant at The Sheraton on the Park in Sydney where he would stay for five years.

This is the position that made David a recognised talent in Australia and gave him the artistic freedom that he had so been yearning. In 2000 David and Sohani opened a small 20-seater café in the then industrial area of Alexandria, Sydney. Simultaneously, it was in the household kitchen of David and Sohani that a unique range of gourmet products was lovingly created. It all started with the now famous Strawberry and Vanilla Jam, originally made to meet the demand of locals who frequented the cafe. Overnight success was met with demand for more products and so the range of 'Bitton' products was born.

Inspiration for the range was derived from various influences; David's French childhood and training, his grandfather's Moroccan heritage and Sohani's South African Indian background. From its humble beginnings the range has grown exponentially, now including more than a dozen products that are sold in over 600 carefully selected fine food stores both locally and internationally. That little café down the road is the now the iconic 100 + seater Bitton Cafe & Bistro where the range is showcased in a spectacular display. The intent behind the range has always been to offer customers the ability to create restaurant quality meals at home, without endless fuss and preparation. With that in mind each product is carefully prepared using a wonderful array of 100% natural ingredients.

Bitton Cafe & Bistro offers a fabulous ever-changing menu blending modern Australian and French cuisine and is open for Breakfast Lunch every day and Dinner from Wednesdays to Saturdays. A kid's room offers parents a well-deserved break, the atmosphere is friendly and the level of service award winning. 2010 saw the 10-year anniversary of Bitton and was celebrated with the launch of David's first cookbook. Bitton - A French-inspired Café Cookbook is a collection of 50 recipes from his French training and apprenticeships, his various positions within the 5-star hotel industry and of course his beloved Café and Bistro in Alexandria. This pictorially beautiful book sold an unprecedented 60,000 through corporate channels nationally.

In 2012 Bitton Consulting was launched offering a unique service to similar businesses wanting to develop a product range or increase their business as a brand. This business developed organically as a demand for David's knowledge in the industry grew. Bitton Consulting has worked with such clients as Delicious, Fratelli Fresh and Charmaine Solomon.

In May 2016 Bitton Café and Grocer in Oatley opened it's doors. Based on the same philosophy and features as the Bitton flagship café in Alexandria, Bitton Oatley has already exceeded expectations in popularity amongst locals.

In September 2017 David launched his Autobiography - Chopped and Served. In David's story so far he writes about his childhood struggle, abusive and traumatic upbringing, which fuelled the downward spiral of over drinking and drug abuse that would define him, but not destroy him. When he arrived in Australia in 1998, his life turned around through his self-determination, strength of character and by surrounding himself with positive people.

David is an active philanthropist, regularly working with such charities as The Chris O'Brien Life House Centre of Cancer Research, Beyond Blue and as an Ambassador for the Ronald MacDonald House at the Randwick Children's Hospital. David has also been an official Australia Day Ambassador every year since 2013 travelling to different parts of our State on Australia Day to address local communities and present citizenship to new Australians.

Of course things have not quite gone to plan in recent years however Bitton has managed to ride the COVID-19 wave by re-inventing itself and continuing to offer it's communities what they need. Despite its unprecedented success, Bitton continues to be a family run and owned business. David and his team continue to strive "to be the best local café in the community."

Grenfell's Australia Day celebrations will be held in Taylor Park on Wednesday 26 January. There will be a Lions community BBQ from 8am. The ceremony will commence at 9am where all of Grenfell's Australia Day awards will be presented. There will be drawing competitions for young children with excellent prizes on offer. Bring a chair and some sunscreen for a great community event. All enquiries to 6343 2855.