Cécile BRIAUD-RICHARD

Chef : 1 restaurant Trained at the Crillon under Christian Constant and having worked at the Martinez in Cannes, Cécile Briaud-Richard lived in the Caribbean for sixteen years before settling near La Rochelle, in a renovated farmhouse she restored with her husband Renaud.

Presentation

The daughter and granddaughter of farmers, raised in the great outdoors and familiar with the finest farm-fresh produce, Cécile Briaud-Richard remembers a childhood that was sometimes tough but often joyful, filled with large family meals where the art of good food and hospitality was cultivated. In 1986, the year she turned 16, the hotel management school in La Rochelle opened its doors, just a few miles from her family home. There, the young woman helped break in the place alongside her classmates but also learned a great deal, particularly during the many opening-night events.

From the Crillon to the Croisette, pivotal encounters

“Above all, I was very well supported by a teacher who gave me a tremendous amount of self-confidence, at a time when being a girl in the kitchen was even harder than it is today. But I’ve always loved the rush, the stress, the heavy workloads—it never held me back.” At 19, she began an internship at the Crillon under Christian Constant, whom she remembers fondly as “a great chef, always very respectful and never stingy with advice.” There she met Éric Frechon and Christophe Felder, worked at the Martinez alongside Christian Willer, and it was on the Croisette that she met Renaud, her future husband, a chef at the Martinez brasserie. “We moved back to Paris because I wanted to work for Alain Dutournier, whose culinary style I admired. After 18 months, we decided to move to the Caribbean.”

Sixteen years in Saint Martin, a Caribbean interlude

The two young people dashed to a bookstore, bought a few travel guides, hesitated between Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, and opted for the latter. “The day we arrived on the island, all our luggage was stolen. We were supposed to stay six months; we ended up staying sixteen years after taking over a restaurant under management after three years. Our two children were born there.”

An old farmhouse to start over

In 2009, the couple decided to return to France and settle near La Rochelle. After a massive renovation, an old farmhouse became their new home. “ Just like when all our luggage was stolen upon arriving in Saint Martin, we started from scratch, investing the proceeds from the sale of our previous restaurant and our house in the Caribbean. And when it came time to decide who would take charge of the kitchen, Renaud simply said to me: ‘Cooking is my profession; for you, it’s your passion. So I’ll handle the front of the house.’” Word of mouth spread very quickly, as customers appreciated the excellent value of the lunch menu and the location—close to La Rochelle yet away from the tourist bustle.