Grand de Demain 2026: Montpellier chef turns gastronomy upside down
In Montpellier, Laurent Cherchi has made a name for himself over the past eight years with his responsible, plant-based cuisine, which led to him being awarded the title of Grand de Demain at the Gault&Millau Tour Occitanie-Andorre 2026.
On Monday April 13, 2026, at the Domaine de la Trinité in Mauguio, during the Gault&Millau Tour Occitanie-Andorre, Robur's Sabrina Coussillan presented chef Laurent Cherchi with the title of Grand de Demain. Located in the heart of Montpellier's "écusson" district, the chef of the three-starred Reflet d'Obione restaurant has been awarded the title of Grand de Demain, a distinction that salutes contemporary, ethical, healthy and gluten-free gastronomy, deeply rooted in its context.
Ethical cuisine, sustainable gastronomy
Before opening his own restaurant, Laurent Cherchi obtained a CAP in pastry-making, before moving abroad: from Brussels to Melbourne, via Switzerland. He returned to France to train in the kitchens of Gaétan Gentil at L'Apagé Substance and Christophe Moret at Lasserre. In 2018, he opened his restaurant Reflet d'Obione with his wife Adèle Escafit.
In eight years, Laurent Cherchi has made his mark with healthy terroir cuisine: " We do contemporary terroir cuisine, based on the healthiest gastronomy possible without losing the gourmet touch. " We're careful to use as few products from the agri-food industry as possible, and to ensure that each product is as healthy as possible. We work a lot by reduction. We don't use animal gelatin. We try to make this gastronomy as easy to digest as possible. " To achieve this? " Seasonality dictates which vegetable to use, so there's no such thing as a new or old vegetable. So of course we use so-called forgotten vegetables, but we bring them into a very contemporary cuisine. "Over the last few years, Laurent Cherchi and his team have always sought to evolve the restaurant's cuisine "with precision and ethics ", while retaining a certain freedom: "we can do anything, as long as we remain faithful to our development approach based as much on ecology as on creativity".
The Grand de Demain title: the culmination of teamwork
After winning the Young Talent of the Year award in 2020 and the Trophée de cuisine de la mer, des Lacs et des Rivières in 2023, this year it's with the Grand de Demain trophy that the chef and his brigade triumph. After seeing the restaurant's score rise last year to 15/20, this has motivated the troops to go even further, says the chef: "We're delighted to be supported by Gault&Millau, we're constantly working and it encourages us to go even further. Beyond being satisfied with the score, it gives us more momentum and pushes us forward. " A motivation that led the restaurant team to be awarded the Grand de Demain prize at the Gault&Millau Tour Occitanie Andorre: " We were delighted to hear the news, and we're very happy about it. We'd like to thank our teams, it's the culmination of a team effort, so we're delighted. "It's good news, and already heralds what's to come: " It's motivating, and the teams realize what's at stake with the guide and this support, it motivates them and also enhances them, it enhances an entire establishment. "
