Pierre Marion's good addresses

Mathieu Dubus | 9/1/24, 9:03 AM

At Le Pily, chef Pierre Marion creates a cuisine with flavors from all over the world, underpinned by his commitment to his native Cotentin region and its small-scale producers. He tells us all about it.

In 2005, Pierre Marion met Lydie, now his wife, in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. At the time, the chef was in charge of the restaurant "Les Fuschias". From this alliance was born Le Pily (for Pierre and Lydie). In this setting, this true lover of the sea makes it a point of honor to showcase his producers. So, he shares with us five addresses of artisans and producers he loves and wishes to honor. He confides that "working with them opens your mind. You better understand how to work the product. When you talk to these craftsmen and producers, you can't do just anything after the fact."

Sylvain Lozier's fishing in Cherbourg

Alone aboard his 10-meter boat, Sylvain Lozier is "a unique character", says Pierre Marion. Committed to working with people he trusts, the chef explains: "I met Sylvain a long time ago, when we were still children. We used to go rock fishing together when my grandmother came with me." After losing sight of him, they met again when the resident of the restaurant on the swing bridge decided to move to Cherbourg. For him, his fisherman friend was a rare find. "What's special about him is his production. He has a small boat. If there's too much wind, it's impossible to go out to sea. He's respectful of the sea, of its resources, and above all, he's one of the few who still fishes in the rocks of Cosqueville, from which he pulls unparalleled lobsters."

Furniture by Rachelle Gardan, Beaumont-Hague

A designer in the Cotentin region, Rachelle's creations have already been noticed by industry heavyweights such as Philippe Starck. "She's a good designer, working mainly with wood and steel. At the restaurant, all our tables and our central cabinet were made by her. Obviously, it comes at a cost, because it's of the highest quality, but a table at Rachelle's is a table for life," he confides.

Where? 3 rue des Goubelins, 50440 La Hague
www.artmeta.fr

Laurent Groult's dairy products, Le Theil

For once, Pierre Marion puts his trust in the people around him. "Laurent Groult is an old neighbor. He farms organically and transforms part of his milk into yoghurts and cream, which he distributes in local organic stores. He makes a point of supplying school canteens with his yoghurts to ensure that children eat good-quality produce. Out of friendship, I asked him if he could make me some butter. So he produces it just for the restaurant, and it's real Normandy butter made from raw milk", explains the owner of Le Pily (2 toques).

Where? 7 Route de Barnavast, 50330 Gonneville-Le Theil
www.lafermedesdoucesprairies.fr

Delphine Mouchel's ceramics, Cherbourg

"She's the only ceramist in Cherbourg, so she couldn't not be at Le Pily," confides Pierre Marion with humor, "She dared to drop everything to make ceramics, and I think she was right. From her home, she makes truly magnificent things, which we use for the restaurant's crockery. You can find her at many local and Christmas markets", explains the chef.

You can find some of her creations at Mona Concept Store: 5-2 rue de Verrue, 50550 Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue.
To find out where to buy them: www.instagram.com/delphine_mouchel_ceramique

Julien Corbière's shiitake mushrooms in Magneville

In his restaurant Le Pily, the Normandy chef loves to use products from around the world, especially when they can be produced close to home. This is exactly the case with Julien Corbière, a small-scale mushroom grower. "There are extremely few people in France who produce shiitake mushrooms outdoors using the traditional Japanese method. It makes the product unique. The woody taste is much more powerful than for those produced in cellars", explains Pierre Marion.