FOUR chats culinary passion, cooking style and career advice with Mauro Colagreco, two Michelin starred chef of Mirazur in Menton as well as B Fire, the stylish restaurant found at Hôtel Barrière Les Neiges in Courchevel.
Known for cultivating a taste for excellence, the Italo-Argentinian chef grew up in a family where fine cuisine always played an important role. After scouring the globe to learn more about different culinary variations, he opened his own Mirazur restaurant in 2006 – receiving an impressive first Michelin star after just 10 months of being open and a second in 2012.
Respected globally for being one of the world’s best chefs, Mauro’s passion and dedication to his craft continues to thrive. We spoke with him to find out more about his journey so far, as well as the dishes awaiting guests at his equally delicious Courchevel restaurant this ski season.
What inspired you to become a chef?
Many things of course, but my first inspiration was when my grandmother was cooking for the family. It is a memory I can clearly remember and the starting point for my desire to cook.
Where did you train? Tell us more about your culinary background…
I trained in France at the ‘La Rochelle’ cooking school where I arrived aged 20. I then worked with chefs such as Loiseau, Martin, Ducasse and Passard in their 3* restaurants side-by-side with them. Of course they have all played a great role in the chef that I am today wether it is throught their techniques or personalities.
What’s your favourite autumn ingredient?
I love squash which I grow in my garden in Mirazur. It is tasty, rich, full of flavours and has a subtle sweetness that you can play around with.
Do you have any role models?
Of course, I have many role models, but the first one that comes to mind is Masanobu Fukuoka – who spent his life engaging into a natural, nature-conscious agriculture very early in the 1970’s. He wrote ‘La Révolution d’un seul brin de paille’ which eventually led me to want to create my own garden in Mirazur. He inspired me to create a real mini-ecosystem for the restaurant and to optimize my harvest; all of this only using natural compost and avoiding pesticides and chemicals.
Describe your cooking style in three words.
Instinctive, Generous, Natural.
What does hospitality mean to you?
It means that beyond providing facilities or experiences to your guests, you should be providing emotions to them.
What can guests expect from a meal at BFire this winter?
The concept is getting more and more refined every year and like the previous year, it is absolutely focused on grilling, wood-oven and fire orientated techniques… still with a lot of sharing dishes – an approach of the meal that I really love and that fits the mountain atmosphere – and of course quality products.
Name three of your top restaurants
1 Chef’s table at Brooklyn Fare
2 Noma
3 L’Arpege
What can foodies expect from the upcoming festive dinners at the hotel?
A joyful, unique celebration with a menu designed for the occasion that will offer high-end products with a touch of what makes the essence of the restaurant : Fire, Sharing and Generosity
What advice would you offer to aspiring chefs?
Be who you are, follow your envies and work very, very hard!
What’s next on the cards?
Lots! I recently created a new burger in Argentina using only healthy, organic ingredients. The original take was to show we can eat simple, healthly food.
I’ve also created a project called Santuario to protect products that are disappearing or that have been harvested so extensively that they have been modified. The idea is to get back to the basics, and connect with the Earth.
Hungry for more? Find out more by clicking here.