Gault&Millau Hauts-de-France Tour 2026: The Winners

On Monday, October 5, 2026, in Lille, Gault&Millau honored eleven winners from the Hauts-de-France region. Diego Delbecq, chef at Rozó in Marcq-en-Barœul, won the Gault&Millau d’Or.

Émilie Lesur Published today at 16:08

On Monday, October 5, 2026, Lille hosted the northern leg of the Gault&Millau Tour. At the Hauts-de-France Chamber of Trades and Crafts on Place des Artisans, culinary professionals from the region enjoyed a morning featuring three cooking demonstrations, the presentation of eleven trophies in the presence of eight partners, and, as the highlight, the announcement of the 2027 Gault&Millau d’Or. The patron of this year’s event, Alexandre Gauthier, chef at La Grenouillère (5 toques) in La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil, opened the ceremony, which concluded with the crowning of Diego Delbecq, chef at Rozó in Marcq-en-Barœul.

Young Talent Award: Charles Bruneval, Renée in Dunkirk

A proud Flemish native, Charles Bruneval trained under Michel Rostang alongside Nicolas Baumann, then with Thierry Marx—his mentor, with whom he helped open the Mandarin Oriental—and Guy Savoy. After helping set up Le Cerisier in Lille, he returned home to Dunkirk to open Renée (2 toques) in 2024, just outside Malo-les-Bains. The restaurant is named after his grandmother, an excellent cook: “Local ingredients, authentic and bold flavors, and generosity—I also seek to pay tribute to this grandmother who passed on to me a love of entertaining and cooking.” Award presented by Aurélie Coppens de Rougié.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Jeune Talent

Seafood, Lakes, and Rivers Cuisine Award: Damien Franco, Signature in Saultain

Born in Aix-en-Provence but raised in the North, Damien Franco was unable to travel around France visiting fine restaurants as he would have liked. He honed his skills in Valenciennes—working in a brasserie, a traditional restaurant, and at a catering business—before setting his sights, along with his wife Fanny, on a dilapidated farmhouse. Signature (2 toques) opened its doors there in 2019 and now has a staff of twelve. The chef updates his menu twice a month, following the seasons, as exemplified by the gently cooked pollock fillet, served with cabbage prepared as pickles or a compote. Award presented by Raphaël Balay of Kaviari.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Cuisine De La Mer, Des Lacs Et Des Rivières

Pastry Chef Award: Camille Duquesne, Harmonie in Villeneuve-d’Ascq

Camille Duquesne’s family has run a garage in Hem for three generations. “I grew up surrounded by exhaust fumes rather than the aroma of melted chocolate,” smiles the pastry chef, who trained at the Orchies Culinary School. She landed a job on a whim at L’Arbre in Gruson, then moved on to La Laiterie (3 toques) in Lambersart, followed by La Salle à Manger in Marcq-en-Barœul, where she stayed for nearly four years. After eighteen months away from fine dining, she helped openHarmonie (2 toques)— Mathieu Boutroy’s restaurant—in late 2025, where her passion fruit and chocolate creation rounds out the meal. Award presented by Damien Deplace of Cacao Barry.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Pâtissiere

Techniques of Excellence Award: Guillaume Barengo, Le Cerisier in Lille

Originally from the Paris region and a graduate of the Ferrandi school, Guillaume Barengo was headed for front-of-house work before switching to the kitchen. He worked for two years with Gilles Goujon atL’Auberge du Vieux Puits (5 toques), served at Le Relais Bernard Loiseau (4 toques), and then spent seven years at Maison Lameloise (4 toques), first as sous chef and then as head chef underÉric Pras, whom he considers his “spiritual father.” Since September 2025, he has been running the kitchen at Le Cerisier (3 toques), where his marinated mackerel seared over an open flame, served with fishbone jelly, celeriac, and lemon caramel, stands out.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Technique D'excellence

“Tradition of Today” Award: Marc-Étienne and Valentin Mont, Le Vivier in Amiens

At the helm of Le Vivier (1 toque) since 1998, Marc-Étienne Mont has turned this seafood restaurant, opened in 1989, into an Amiens institution. He is gradually handing over the reins to his son Valentin Mont, who trained under Hélène Darroze and Cyril Attrazic (2 toques) in Aumont-Aubrac. “My arrival in the kitchen didn’t bring about a total revolution,” explains Valentin. The plating has become more refined, but the warm oysters with champagne, fish from the Boulogne catch, and seafood platters remain on the menu. Trophy presented by Nicolas Berthe of Debic.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Tradition D'aujourd'hui

Exceptional Terroir Trophy: Thibaut Fourdrinier, L’Âme au Vert in Avelin

Trained to work with the rhythm of the seasons between Avoriaz and Ramatuelle, Thibaut Fourdrinier ran La Salle à Manger in Marcq-en-Barœul for many years with his wife, Karine Fourdrinier. From his mentor Thierry Dufroux, he adopted a guiding principle: “It was from him that I learned to respect the farmer, to highlight the product, without wasting anything.” He applies this philosophy today at L’Âme au Vert (1 toque), a former Flemish farmhouse in the heart of the Pévèle region, where “short supply chain” is the watchword: the produce comes from within a 15-km radius, with the exception of fish from Boulogne and fish from the Artois fish farm.

Sommelier Award: Guillaume Baufumé, Les Ferlempins in Compiègne

Introduced to wine by a father who loved fine wine, Guillaume Baufumé trained at Ferrandi, then worked at Rech and the Nysa cellars in Paris, before opening Les Ferlempins (1 toque) in 2016 with his older brother Antoine, who runs the kitchen. The two “little rascals”—the meaning of the restaurant’s name in old Picard dialect—thus brought to life a project they had decided on very early on. “Today, I have about 250 wines in my cellar,” explains the sommelier, “with a particular fondness for Languedoc—one of my favorite regions—as well as the Jura and Savoie.” He suggests a wine pairing for every dish.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Sommelier

Hospitality Award: Sophie and Richard Baïma, Le Julianon in Senlis

In 2007, Sophie and Richard Baïma purchased a crêperie in Senlis housed in a^17th-century historic building to create Le Julianon (2 toques), a combination of Juliette and Manon, the first names of their two daughters. He, a former sous-chef to Alain Senderens at Lucas Carton, creates market-inspired cuisine there. She runs the dining room like a hostess and advises guests on planning their events. This is a restaurant that Gault&Millau has consistently recognized, both for the precision of its cuisine and the quality of its hospitality. The award was presented by Vanessa Lentillon of API&YOU.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Accueil

Young Talent in Front-of-House Award: Louise Dumetz, Froggy’s Tavern in Montreuil-sur-Mer

Nothing seemed to point Louise Dumetz toward a career in front-of-house. A product design student in Lille, she financed her studies by working at Alexandre Gauthier’s restaurants—from Anecdote (2 toques) to Sur Mer (2 toques), including a stint at La Grenouillère—and found herself drawn to the role. Since the summer of 2025, she has been working at Froggy’s Tavern (2 toques), a former grain cellar converted into a rotisserie, where there are only two of them on the dining room floor. “We both have a lot of responsibilities, of course, and this intimate restaurant is a perfect fit for what I’m looking for,” she says. Award presented by Mathieu Guegan of Nespresso.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Jeune Talent En Salle

Grand de Demain Award: Clémence Taillandier, Pulpe in Lille

As a 2025 Young Talent, Clémence Taillandier has reached a new milestone. Trained at the Institut Paul Bocuse, she worked in Paris at L’Astrance (4 toques) and Quinsou (3 toques), and then in the kitchens of Rozó, she opened Pulpe (2 toques) in 2024 on Rue Saint-André in Vieux-Lille with her husband Philippe Platel, a sommelier, thanks to the Gault&Millau Young Talents Grant. “We wanted a cuisine centered on ingredients, sincere, with less fuss but just as high a standard,” says the chef, whose vibrant, plant-based menu changes every three weeks. Award presented by Juliette Champion of Robur.

Gmt Hauts De France 2027 Bertille Genty Grande De Demain

Gault&Millau d’Or 2027: Diego Delbecq, Rozó in Marcq-en-Barœul

Denis Timechinat, representing Charvet, presented the award to Diego Delbecq, chef at Rozó (4 toques), who also earned his fourth toque. A native of Hazebrouck, trained under Marc Meurin, in Busnes, and later under Christophe Saintagne at the Plaza Athénée and the Meurice, he opened Rozó in Lille in 2017 with his partner Camille Pailleau, before relocating the restaurant to Marcq-en-Barœul in 2022, in a former printing house. First named “Young Talent” and then “Rising Star,” he shares this new title with his kitchen staff: “It’s a lot of hard work by the team, whom I thank very much. They’re there every day giving their very best. It’s mostly thanks to them.”