Gault&Millau Tour Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2023

• Sponsor: Michel Trama - Academician (L'Aubergade, Puymerol)

Sponsor of the event, Michel Trama is a Gault&Millau regular. From former dishwasher to undisputed chef, this self-taught chef has made such an impact on French gastronomy that he has twice been named Gault&Millau Chef of the Year. This 5-toque chef exercises his talent at his restaurant L'Aubergade, in Puymirol, Lot-et-Garonne.

• Gault&Millau d'Or: Jérôme Schilling (Lalique Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bommes, 16/20, 3 toques)

As he says himself, Jérôme Schilling is a vineyard cook. Although he's from Alsace, it's in Bommes, Gironde, that he feels most at home. Jérôme Schilling has been working for Lalique since 2015: first in Wingen-sur-Moder (Bas-Rhin) alongside Jean-Georges Klein, then at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, in Bommes, since 2017. It was here that he won the Grand de Demain Gault&Millau 2018 trophy, as well as the Bocuse d'Argent France 2021 and the title of Meilleur ouvrier de France in 2022.

• Trophée Grand de Demain: Jérôme Dallet (Le Dallaison, Saintes, 15/20, 3 toques)

Born in 1989, Jérôme Dallet discovered cooking during an internship in the restaurant business in his ninth year . "Encouraged by the chef who trained him, he moved to Trizay, at Les Jardins du Lac, where Johann Suire taught him the basics of the trade. After broadening his experience in several restaurants, he decided to open his own establishment with his wife Coralie Le Diraison. Le Dallaison was born in Saintes, with a terroir-based, nature-focused cuisine that earned him 3 toques from Gault&Millau and the title of Grand de Demain for the region.

• Young Talent Trophy: Mathieu Thomas (Mimosa, Sare, 14/20, 2 toques)

With parents who were farmers and market gardeners, Mathieu Thomas' vocation is not surprising : " He joined the kitchens of Guy Savoy, Parisian addresses such as Hôtel Castille and La Robe and Le Palais, where he rose through the ranks. Shortly after settling in the Basque country, Mathieu Thomas opened Le Mimosa, in Sare, a warm and friendly restaurant where whole rooms are shared, and which the chef defines as the alliance of "raw and refined produce, and pure classicism". Proof of his talent, Gault&Millau crowned him Young Talent for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

• Trophée Techniques d'Excellence: David Sulpice (Villa de L'Étang Blanc, Seignosse, 15/20, 3 toques)

A globetrotter at heart, David Sulpice left Gironde in his youth to go into exile abroad. "At the time, French chefs were in great demand in England. The establishments offered us good working conditions and a good salary. "In particular , the chef cut his teeth in Australia, where he planned to set up on his own with his wife Magali, before finally returning to his native region to seize the opportunity to put the Villa de L'Étang Blanc, in Seignosse, up for sale. The chef's cuisine reflects his surroundings, earning him the Gault&Millau Techniques d'Excellence trophy.

• Trophée Terroir d'Exception: Louis Festa (Les Singuliers, Saint-Astier, 13.5/20, 2 toques)

At just 24 years of age, Louis Festa received the Dotation Jeune Talent Gault&Millau 2022, which helped him finalize his project to open his first restaurant. Trained at the Ferrandi school and then in fine Parisian establishments such as Le Pergolèse, it was with Jacky Ribault that he learned to respect and magnify the product. The opening of his restaurant Les Singuliers in Saint-Astier was the perfect opportunity for the chef to create a cuisine to his taste : "I want to cook with popular products, but in a modern way."This promise was kept, as the chef was awarded the Terroir d'Exception 2023 trophy for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

• Tradition d'Aujourd'hui Trophy: Nicolas Eche (En Cuisine, Brive-la-Gaillarde, 14/20, 2 toques)

Although he comes from a family of bakers, it was in the kitchen that Nicolas Eche revealed himself. With experience in a number of establishments, including the Moulin de la Gorce in La Roche-l'Abeille, he dreams of something bigger. "In 2011, En Cuisine opened its doors in Brive-la-Gaillarde. Here, Nicolas Eche offers a cuisine inspired by classic basics, with a certain idea of modernity, and always driven by a capital approach - "I don't cheat on the product " - which has earned him the Tradition d'Aujourd'hui trophy.

• Pâtissier Trophy: Damien Amilien (L'Observatoire du Gabriel, Bordeaux, 16/20, 3 toques)

For Damien Amilien, cooking and pastry-making came naturally to him as a teenager. He trained as a chef, but as he explains, "I realized that I didn't really like it". He then decided to turn to pastry-making, and joined Patrick Henriroux's brigade, as well as the Logis de la Cadène, in Saint-Émilion. In 2020, Damien Amilien joined Le Gabriel, in Bordeaux, where he developed a patisserie whose two main pillars are, and will remain, "rigor and taste". Gault&Millau supports his approach, awarding him the Pâtissier trophy for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

• Cuisine de la Mer, des Lacs et des Rivières Trophy: Mathieu Martin (Le Saint-James Bouliac, 15.5/20, 3 toques)

When it came to choosing his career path, Mathieu Martin preferred cooking to soccer. His first professional experiences confirmed his choice and marked the start of a wonderful adventure. In 2013, he joined Relais & Châteaux Saint-James Bouliac, where he gradually worked his way up through the ranks. Reflecting his talent, he was awarded the Gault&Millau Cuisine de la Mer, des Lacs et des Rivières Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2023 trophy.

• Sommelier Trophy: Maxime Develay (Ekaitza, Ciboure, 15.5/20, 3 toques)

Maxime Develay decided to go into the restaurant business after an observation course in ninth grade. But it was in 2019, at Brouillarta, Guillaume Roget's restaurant in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, that he discovered his passion for wine. "I simply responded to a job advertisement offering a double position, both in the dining room and as sommelier. " He then followed chef Guillaume Roget when he opened his restaurant Ekaitza in Ciboure. With a passion for the region's wines, the sommelier was particularly keen to highlight the iruleguy wines on the restaurant's menu.

• Welcome Trophy: Rémi Latrubesse (La Ferme aux Grives, Eugénie-les Bains, 16/20, 3 toques)

Rémi Latrubesse discovered his vocation during a third-year internship at a family friend's hotel. He describes his studies, during which he apprenticed at Les Prés d'Eugénie, as the richest years of his life: "It was the turning point in my career. " He became manager of La Ferme aux Grives, in Eugénie-les-Bains, where he manages a team of around 7 people, and his smiling, gracious welcome won him the Accueil Nouvelle-Aquitaine trophy.

• Trophée Jeune Talent en Salle: Antoine Pierre (Château de Brindos, Anglet, 13/20, 2 toques)

Born in Paris in 2002, Antoine Pierre quickly discovered the region he represents today, moving there at the age of 3. With envy as his only baggage, he headed for service, but not at any price: "I wanted a good setting in which to work." The young man joined Château de Brindos in 2022, flourishing in the company and deepening his experience in the dining room. A fine career path that has earned him the Jeune Talent en Salle Nouvelle-Aquitaine trophy.