Alexandre BARANZELLI

Chef : 1 restaurant At the helm of the Auberge de La Mère Duval in Normandy, 2-toque chef Alexandre Baranzelli offers a cuisine steeped in his Italian roots and his love of nature.

Presentation

"My grandparents had a large vegetable garden and raised rabbits, pigeons and sheep," recounts Alexandre Baranzelli. My other grandfather, of Italian origin, loved to take us on vacation to his country to introduce us to the local cuisine. It's bound to leave its mark. "

After taking his baccalaureate in economics and social studies, followed by a summer spent in the kitchens of Scotland, the young man decided to enroll at the Lycéethe Lycée Hôtelier in Le Touquet, which enabled him to apprentice with Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu (Côte-d'Or) in 2004. With his BTS in hand, the young commis joined the brigades of Jean Sulpice (L'Oxalys, Val Thorens), Arnaud Donckele (La Vague d'Or, Saint-Tropez) and Alexandre Bourdas (SaQuaNa, Honfleur).

In 2010, with his wife Mélanie, ex-sommelière at L'Oxalys, Alexandre Baranzelli took flight. The couple took over an established business in Val-de-Saâne (Seine-Maritime): the Auberge de La Mère Duval. "At first,we adapted to the clientele. Then, slowly but surely, we added our own touch: more lightness, inventiveness, and a little Italian flair." In 2021, a group of friends put up for sale their half-timbered farmhouse, nestled in the greenery of Auzouville-sur-Saâne. " In 2021, they moved in with the idea of forging links with local producers, but without getting bogged down in regional cuisine. In 2023, Gault&Millau awarded them 2 toques and rewarded Mélanie Baranzelli's dynamism and smile with the Trophée Accueil Normandie.

B.G.