Damien SANCHEZ

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

"With a smile on my face, I discovered the world of gastronomy in front of "La Cuisine des mousquetaires", the culinary cooking show presented by Maïté in the 1990s."Fascinated from an early age, Damien Sanchez followed in his brother's footsteps and passed his BEP cuisine in Nîmes. In 2000, he joined the kitchens of La Cabro d'Or, Michel Hulin's restaurant in Les Baux-de-Provence, first as a part-time apprentice, then as commis de cuisine and demi-chef de partie. He continued his culinary journey at the prestigious Réserve de Beaulieu, between Nice and Monaco, working alongside chef Olivier Brulard.

In 2006, Damien Sanchez joined the Coutanceau family at their famous eponymous restaurant in La Rochelle. "I experienced the transition from the father, Richard, who hired me, to the son, Christopher," he says. He stayed for four years, the time it took to meet his future wife Séverine, who works for the second son, Grégory, owner of Les Flots restaurant.

Together, they decided to move closer to Nîmes, with the idea of setting up their own establishment. In the meantime, Damien Sanchez worked for four years with Jérôme Nutile, at Hostellerie Le Castellas, in Collias (Gard). As a last step before taking the plunge, he helped open Table 2 Julien in Montaren-et-Saint-Médiers, near Uzès. "Julien Lavandet was a friend. For me, it was essential to observe how an opening is run before making my own."

Finally ready, Damien Sanchez joined Skab in 2014, in Nîmes, as chef and co-owner (with Alban Barbette). In 2016, Gault&Millau awarded him the Espoir trophy for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. In 2019, he finds himself alone at the helm of the doubly toasted establishment; Séverine joins him in 2020.

B. G.