What are your earliest memories of being interested in food?
Perhaps my grandmother’s rice pudding. I have the recipe but not her savoir faire and oven, so it is just a memory.
What kind of experience do you aim to give guests at Les Sources de Caudalie?
A unique experience, a personal cooking deeply linked to the place, trip from the ocean to the vine.
What chef would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
Many, and chefs who are opposite from me : , Alain Passard, David Toutain.
Describe how you see your own culinary style and how it has evolved over the years…
A cooking which gets straight to the point, which is very simple with products that have a real history.
What would you say has been the most memorable moment in your culinary career so far?
The moment I just lived, the second Michelin star: it was a lot of work, but this award makes me really proud and pushes me to go in thedeep of my culinary reflection.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self, starting out a career in the world of food?
Walk straight, be demanding, do not think too hard, take some risks.
What’s been your most embarrassing kitchen moment?
In Deauville, during my apprenticeship, having spilled vegetables cakes for 200 people, 30 minutes before the sitting. I do not know how I did it, but I baked them again, on time!
What restaurant is currently at the top of your list to dine at?
In Spain, in the Pyrenees, a chef who chooses sawdust according to his products and smoke them right on time. Incredible!