Antoine HUGUENIN

Chef : 1 restaurant After learning the basics of the trade in some very fine establishments (Cap Estel, La Réserve de Beaulieu), Antoine Huguenin and his partner opened a simple, authentic restaurant dedicated to offering quality products.

Presentation

Grandson of farmers, son of a stay-at-home mother and a father who runs a garage and breeds sheep in his spare time, Antoine Huguenin doesn't hold back when it comes to describing his school career: "I wasn't exactly a good student, to put it mildly. After secondary school, I was thinking of going to a fish farming school. But the nearest one was in central France, five or six hours away. So I ended up at the Lycée Hôtelier in Gérardmer .

An apprenticeship in several luxury restaurants

Once Antoine Huguenin had passed his "bac pro", he had the opportunity to join Patrick Raingeard's kitchens at Cap Estel. A different world for this child of the Vosges, who grew up in a village twenty minutes from Epinal. "The site is magnificent, right on the sea. It was my first taste of what a great restaurant is like. I then had the opportunity to work with Philippe Augé, at the Hostellerie de Levernois, before spending a full year at the Réserve de Beaulieu, under Yannick Franques" .

But this world of luxury wasn't really to the young chef's taste, so he decided to return to his region, at least not very far away. "In 2018, I joined the Auberge au Bœuf in Sessenheim, a family home where I would stay for four years and meet my future partner, Nadège Monna. I was to hold just about every position there, while the two of us drew up plans for our ideal restaurant .

In 2023, Antoine Huguenin and Nadège Monna open Huna

The young couple opened Huna (a contraction of their two first names) at the end of 2023, after more than six months of construction work. "We wanted to set up halfway between Epinal and Haguenau, where Nadège is from, to have a garden where we could grow some of our vegetables, and to offer a predominantly plant-based cuisine, without exclusivity of course, and locavore. Our first few months have been very positive, and we've decided to work as a two-person team, sharing the tasks between us. Nadège helps me with the set-up, while I help with the service when necessary" .

A complementary and efficient duo, which earned Antoine Huguenin our Terroir d'Exception 2024 trophy for the Grand-Est region .