Erwan LEDRU

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

Born in 1994, Erwan Ledru spent his childhood between the Paris region and Brittany, where his family is originally from. He grew up in an environment where the land and craftsmanship were important foundations. And yet, as soon as he recalls his culinary memories, the chef declares without hesitation: "My vocation comes from my father."His father was a cook in a local authority, whom he sometimes accompanied, and who would return every evening with "a red box with a white lid containing a meal brought in from work".

In 2009, the young man naturally decided to take a CAP (vocational training certificate), followed in 2011 by a bac pro (vocational training certificate) at Ferrandi Paris. There, he met Kevin de Porre, who would later become his professional partner. During this period, he completed his apprenticeship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Thierry Charrier, and came second in the MAF (Meilleur Apprenti de France) competition.

His career as a chef began at Le Rech, with Adrien Trouilloud. Two years later, Trouilloud, who had joined the kitchens of Lasserre, encouraged Erwan to join him. The following year, Erwan Ledru arrived at Le Meurice - alongside Jocelyn Herland and Amaury Bouhours - where he was demi chef de partie for fish. In 2017, he joined the team of MOF Arnaud Nicolas, looking for a chef to open the restaurant that would bear his name.

Two years later, chef Matthias Marc contacted Erwan Ledru to propose the Contraste project, a new entity in Stéphane Manigold's group. Erwan told his friend Kevin de Porre. They decide that this joint venture could be a good idea. Contraste opens its doors in 2019. During the pandemic, Erwan Ledru works for two months for the Écotable association, leading a team that prepares meals for caregivers. In 2022, when the situation had stabilized for restaurateurs, the cuisine at Contraste asserted itself, "quite raw, turned towards the natural, with quite marked tastes". Erwan and Kevin are not about to stop. Gault&Millau immediately awarded them 2 toques.

T.L.