Benjamin BUGAND-YDAIS

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

"When I was a child, I used to wake up on Sunday mornings to bake cakes. "Benjamin Bugand-Ydais was predestined to become a pastry chef, yet the young student wore out his studies at Lyon University until 2004, when he graduated with a degree in applied foreign languages in English and Spanish. After a stint as assistant manager of a fast-food restaurant, he flew to Australia to take a step back and get his head on straight.

Realizing that he was on the wrong track, he returned to Lyon and decided to retrain to devote himself fully to his passion, pastry-making. Pôle emploi wouldn't finance a CAP in this field, so he opted for cooking, figuring that he'd probably be able to branch out later. During his fast-track training for adults, he developed a taste for cooking and chose to pursue this path. Graduating in 2011, the young commis joined the team at Tartufo, a renowned Italian restaurant in Lyon, where he progressed to the position of chef.

In 2016, Benjamin Bugand-Ydais wanted to take off on his own. He approached Christophe Cocco, then Maître d'hôtel from Lazio, Italy. The two men combined their talents and founded Veronatuti in the 7th arrondissement, with the aim of highlighting the richness and diversity of Italian cuisine, "which is not just pizza and burrata".

"Veronatuti is anacronym for Venice, Rome, Naples, Turin and Tivoli, " he explains, and through his dishes, which are highly respectful of tradition, the chef hopes to take his guests on a voyage of discovery of all these cities. This culinary expedition was doubly toasted in 2023. The two partners also offer a catering service, so that customers can leave with a beautiful souvenir.

B.G.