Guillaume Goupil, chef at Domaine de Fontenille and Simon Courilleau, estate gardener

Chef Guillaume Goupil arrived in the Luberon in the spring of 2023 to oversee the kitchen at Domaine de Fontenille. In this splendid setting, the very first in the Fontenille collection, he found an ideal space in which to express himself, as well as a large kitchen garden. A real complicity quickly developed between the chef, who has been awarded his MOF title in 2022, and the Domaine's gardener, Simon Courilleau. The fruits of their labor can be found at La Table d'Amélie, the hotel's bistro, and since September 1ᵉʳ in the gourmet restaurant, Le Champ des Lunes.

Is this the first time you've worked with a kitchen garden so close to your kitchen?

Guillaume Goupil: Yes, because for a long time, I was only a chef in Paris, notably at the Burgundy, where we didn't have that. On the other hand, I've always loved gardening. My father had a large vegetable garden in the Perche region of France, but I've lost touch with that. During the Covid, when I had nothing to do, I found myself in Normandy with friends in a big house with a garden that was no longer being used. I had a lot of fun sowing seeds, replanting... it's something I'm passionate about. So when I talk to Simon, I tell him about my experiences, and he tells me about his. I feel we have a real bond.

Simon, what is your background and how did you come to work at Domaine de Fontenille?

Simon Courilleau: I've been here just over a year, so it's quite recent. I wasn't originally destined for market gardening; I studied viticulture. However, my parents are market gardeners. After my studies, I became interested in permaculture and trained a little in market gardening. And I love cooking. I've always been used to eating fresh, healthy, organic vegetables. When I saw the job offer here, it just made sense.

What was the vegetable garden like when you arrived?

S.C.: There were certain things already in place. All the squares, for example. But on the other hand, there was very little cultivation and some areas had been neglected. We had to put everything back in order, and immediately get some crops going again, because the summer crops start to come on stream in February. I had to draw up a calendar and prepare the seedlings, which I try to do as much as possible myself.

G.G.: When I arrived in April 2023, Simon had already had a full season. A lot of things were already underway, but he said to me "You need to think about what you want for the autumn, because I need to do my seedlings". We're still in the exploration phase, testing varieties and what's likely to grow here.

What kind of permaculture do you do here?

S.C.: I do it my way. Being alone, I already do what I can! I really try to work with a living soil. Each section has its own typicity: stonier, siltier and sandier, so each needs to be worked differently. Root crops, for example, thrive in sandy soils. I rotate crops to avoid disease, and use associations with several crop stages.

Are there any crops that don't work here?

S.C.: What's more complicated in the open field are peppers, eggplants, cucumbers? These are crops that require a lot of humidity, and as I don't have a tunnel, it works more or less well.

How do you minimize water consumption?

S.C.: It's a resource you have to take care of. I use mulch to cover the soil. I water either very early in the morning or late in the evening, using drip irrigation to avoid losses.

Guillaume, do you come up with any ideas for dishes as you walk around here?

G.G.: Yes! For example, I made a zucchini recipe for a customer. I went to the vegetable garden and picked some red fruit. Until I got into the kitchen, I didn't know what I was going to do. I cut the zucchinis like tagliatelle. Then I made a sauce vierge with the red berries, blackcurrants and blackberries. I seasoned it with a little elderberry vinegar that I made when I arrived, because it was the height of the season. And frankly, it was too good!

Having a vegetable garden also means enjoying fully ripened produce, sometimes in a very short space of time.

G.G.: Exactly. Right now, almonds are at their peak for me. You have to pick them right away, otherwise they'll dry out. But if you pick everything right away, it's a lot. But they're good now, not in three weeks' time. That's what happened with the cherries: they were top-notch and the next day there was a big storm and everything was dead! So we pick the almonds and process them right away by freezing them, as they keep very well and retain their fresh almond texture.

Is there a plant that has particularly appealed to you this season?

G.G.: There are so many herbs and flowers here that I like, thyme, marjoram... But if I have to choose one, it's verbena. It's so good when it's fresh.

For you, Simon, what's the pleasure of working in a gastronomic context?

S.C.: Seeing the finality of a product for which I started with a seed and took care of it from beginning to end, right through to harvesting.It's a great source of pride to see these products worked on, sublimated and eaten by customers.

What is the pleasure for a chef of being able to grow his own vegetables?

G.C.: That's part of the reason why I left Paris. It's true that in Paris, you have all the produce you want, and some very beautiful produce, but you don't have that closeness to the growers. Even if you don't have your own vegetable garden, they're right there, all around you. We know them because they're the ones who deliver to us. Some of them are so small that they can't deliver, and it's up to us to pick up their produce. That's what I wanted to find out.

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