The Dotation Jeunes Talents Gault&Millau made a stop at Lyon's Institut Lyfe for its Sud-Est 2026 session. Three promising chefs were rewarded for their first restaurant project.
The Dotation Jeunes Talents Gault&Millau continues its mission: to unearth the chefs of tomorrow and accompany them towards the opening of their first restaurant. For its South-East 2026 session, the Guide Jaune invited candidates and partners to the Lyfe Institute in Lyon. Three new winners were honored, three singular profiles driven by projects as different as they are complementary.
Since 2014, the principle of the Dotation has remained the same: any young chef wishing to set up his or her first business can apply. The Gault&Millau teams select the most promising projects, then organize meetings between these young entrepreneurs and partners in the CHR sector. The latter undertake to support the winners by providing them with a grant in the form of equipment, raw materials or services, to a value equivalent to over 25,000 euros per endowment. Since its inception, the Dotation has supported over a hundred young talents. Alexandre Mazzia, the first winner in 2014, remains one of the most striking symbols of this success.
Trained at ITM Grenoble in cooking and pastry-making, Benjamin Aubert forged his reputation in some of the world's most prestigious establishments. Two years of apprenticeship with Jacques and Régis Marcon, a spell with Laurent Petit at Clos des Sens in Annecy, then with Stéphane Buron at Chabichou in Courchevel, before joining Nicolas Bottero in Provence. With Jeandré, the restaurant he's about to open in Isère, he's defending a simple, produce-based cuisine with a resolute focus on plants. It's a project rooted in the region, nurtured by a solid track record with some of the region's top chefs.
It was in the heart of Marseille's Old Port that Michael Herrera built his reputation. After serving as sous-chef at Bistrot du Cours and then chef at Café des Épices, in 2018 he joined the kitchens of La Piscine, one of the most sought-after restaurants in the city. With his feet in the water, the young chef worked his way up to the position of chef in 2023. He will soon be opening Rose, also in Marseille, with the ambition of offering a simple, carefully-crafted menu based on local, seasonal produce. His Mediterranean roots are unmistakable.
Sacha Clapeyron's career already tells a fine story. Trained by Christophe Aribert and then by Les Meilleur, father and son, at La Bouitte, the young chef took the plunge in February 2026 with the support of the Dotation. Settling with his partner Clémence Ayala in the former Champdieu railway station, not far from Montbrison in the Loire, he has preserved some of the historic features of the site to create a singular setting. Here, he offers a cuisine with contemporary accents, both personal and masterful. A project that perfectly illustrates the vocation of the Dotation: to reveal talent where it is not necessarily expected.
With this stop in Lyon, the Guide Jaune confirms its commitment to the new generation and continues to weave a network of young entrepreneurs throughout France. Next steps to follow.
