Olivier Bellin's good addresses

The Auberge des Glazicks has a long history stretching back over 150 years. Olivier Bellin didn't arrive here by chance. His grandmother turned the farm into a restaurant. Even back then, people tasted the region's emblematic products. This heritage was carried on by his mother, before the 4-toque chef took up the torch at the end of the last century. He was not yet 30 when he gradually decided to change the direction of the restaurant. His training with great chefs such as Joël Robuchon combined with his love of the land to create the gastronomic table we know today. Along the way, the Plomodiern resident meets and works with producers devoted to their corner of France.

Jean-Jacques Cadoret's oysters, in Riec-sur-Bélon

In the Cadoret family, oysters are handed down from generation to generation, five in all. Olivier Bellin has been working with the family "since the beginning", he explains. Jean-Jacques Cadoret, the latest to take over the business, is first and foremost a friend of the chef. But "beyond that, in the 70s, the Bélon flat oyster almost disappeared. His father, along with one or two other oyster farmers, saved the species," he explains. What makes them special? "The oysters are born in the north of Finistère, around Carantec, in salt water. After two or three years, they are transferred to the Bélon (Finistère river). The water is softer and that's what I appreciate most. It gives them roundness and softness, a less iodized side with almost nutty notes. They can be used hot or cold, without losing the firmness of the flesh."

• Where? Porte Neuve, 29340 Riec-sur-Bélon
• www.huitres-cadoret.fr

Jean-Pierre Labat's Ménez Hom goat, in Saint-Nic

"It's a product I don't talk about much in my restaurant, and yet it's surely the first product I've worked with in the restaurant," the chef tells us of Jean-Pierre Labat's goat's cheese. "What's great about this goat's cheese is its simplicity. It's not a competition animal like a big Reblochon or a Roquefort. The animals live facing the sea, which gives the product a slight salinity as well as its creaminess," explains Olivier Bellin. A gourmet advisor, the man named to the Guide Jaune's Cuisinier de l'Année 2024 is "particularly fond of it when it's just been molded and eaten within 48 hours. Eaten cold in summer with a tomato salad, it's divine, or hot as in a restaurant with sea lettuce ravioli."

• Where? 5 Rue du Ménez Hom, 29550 Saint-Nic
• Tel: 02 98 26 53 38

Laurent Daniel's fishing

When you're attached to your land and work 5 km from the sea, it seems foolish not to exploit this playground. In order to source the best possible products, Olivier Bellin has placed his trust in Laurent Daniel. This fisherman from Guilvinec has a double production: the first for wholesale, the second on small fishing boats. "I order the products from his small boat, and he makes us the very best in terms of seasonality," explains the chef. " We order our products the day before, and they're delivered the next day - it's absolutely brilliant".

The fishing situation in France complicates the chef's work, forcing him to fall back on "fish that may be a little less well-known, perhaps less noble, but just as good tasting. Like yellow scad, it's a wonderful fish. It has the texture of mackerel with the taste of sea bass. There are no lizards, and with extremely fresh fish and shellfish like his, it's easier for us to work," confides the owner of the Auberge des Glazicks.

• Where? 22 Rue de la Marine, 29730 Guilvinec
• www.mareyeur-bretagne.com

Dairy products from the Ty Lanech farm in Dinéault

Located less than 10 kilometers from the Finistère establishment, the Ty Lanech farm is a newcomer to the kitchen. "Usually, the butter from our local cows is renowned for being very strong. Here, it's different: the herd is made up of several breeds of cows, giving us a fine, subtle and elegant milk", explains the chef. However, the rich nature of Breton cows such as Pie-Noire or Froment du Léon gives the chef "a very rich milk and cream". "If you decide to make a whipped cream with it, it rises immediately. I often compare it to a toothpaste paste that you spread on your palate, so thick and tasty is it", confidesOlivier Bellin.

Nathalie Derouet's ceramics, Douarnenez

In a gourmet restaurant, the tableware is almost as important as the other elements, so useful is it in showcasing the dishes. At the Auberge des Glazicks, part of the service is made by Nathalie Derouet. "She has a rather Nordic relationship with materials, if I can put it that way. Her creations are very pure, very smooth, with few sculpted or striated shapes, and the colors are pale and pure", explains the chef. For Olivier Bellin, this spirit is summed up by "the brilliant idea of making a flat plate, just a little hollowed out, with fish scale imprints on the rim. I've had them for 15 years, and I still get so many positive comments about them. "She makes vases, coffee cups, tea cups, teapots, large basins, lamp stands and plates. All this, without excess complexity, is perfectly in line with the philosophy of haute cuisine: keep it simple with beautiful products", concludes the chef.

• Where? 2 Impasse Théodore Doare, 29100 Douarnenez
• www.nathaliederouet.com

An extra producer... The teams at L'Auberge des Glazicks

There are many restaurants whose first producer is themselves... In a world where environmental and ecological ethics are increasingly important, sourcing some of the produce yourself seems an obvious choice. In the case of Olivier Bellin, the members of his brigade harvest most of his herbs and other aromatic seaweed. "In my restaurant, I use very few herbs. The only ones I use are those from the coast", explains the chef. So, "twice a week, my guys walk the seashore, the cliffs; you'll find wild sorrel, samphire, sea spaghetti, sea lettuce and sea rockrose".