Olivier Samson crowned Gault&Millau d'Or: "We're aiming for the exceptional"

In the Orangerie of the Domaine du Liziec, in Vannes, Olivier Samson receives the Gault&Millau d'Or Bretagne with great emotion. Behind this award lies a career built on exacting standards, loyalty to the product and love of the collective. Philippe Laruelle of De Buyer and Mathieu Levelu of Charvet presented the title on stage.

A chef rooted in the product and the region

The chef at La Table du Liziec has been following Gault&Millau since the start of his career. " Ever since my first chef's position in Switzerland in 2006, I've always had this link with the guide ," he says. Among his vivid memories, he recalls a prize for innovation won in 2012 around coffee, thanks to a creation combining beet, orange and coffee.

Over the years, he has built up a precise and demanding cuisine, driven by one obsession: the quality of the product. Exceptional pigeon, Guilvinec spiders, Breton asparagus, caviar... every ingredient is carefully selected. " We don't know how to do things by halves," he sums up.

This quest for excellence also relies on strong relationships with producers. breeders, fishermen, market gardeners: they all contribute to the identity of his cuisine. " I know my producers by their first names. Without them, we have nothing. We're their ambassadors. "

For him, Brittany today has all the assets of a great gastronomic region. " We've got the sea, the land, the mix of land and sea, incredible aromas... For a long time, young people were looking elsewhere for a culinary identity. Today, it's here. "

"The Gault&Millau d'Or is also a responsibility".

The chef sees this distinction as a personal recognition, but also as a driving force to keep moving forward. " It's the culmination of a journey, of course, but above all it means that I'm here to keep going. "

With humour, he compares his gastronomic career to a school report: " I got 16, 17, I went down to 15 and then back to 16... Just like at school after all. Except that I was better in the kitchen than in the classroom! "But behind the smile, the message is serious. The new Gault&Millau d'Or now wants to pass on and encourage the new Breton generation.

His ambition is clear: to push young chefs towards ever greater excellence. " I don't want "very good". I want exceptional. "

And if this award is so valuable in his eyes, it's because it celebrates much more than just a chef: an entire ecosystem. " The Gault&Millau d'Or is all about sourcing, teamwork and a lot of passion. "