Fabien BIGAILLON

Presentation

It was at his mother's PMU in Valenciennes that Fabien Bigaillon found his calling. "I used to help her in the evenings, when it was busy. I was in constant contact with the customers," he recalls. So, after a professional baccalaureate, he became head waiter at La Gentilhommière, run by Gérard and Isabelle Fournier, in Artres. "Theadvantage of this establishment is that it's very youth-oriented, so there was always something to do."

Two years later, he joined Hugues Teneur in Valenciennes, as head waiter at Hôtel Particulier and L'Escargot. There, he met Marion, his partner, and discovered new skills;"sometimes I took over the leadership of the service and that helped me gain confidence", recalls Fabien Bigaillon.

Then one day, he met his future partner, Justine Maréchal;"the feeling really hit home and we decided to go into business together", he explains. In 2017, they opened the Chez Justine restaurant in Valenciennes. To reward him, Gault&Millau awarded him the Jeune Talent Service en Salle trophy in 2022. "I was happy, because it's very rare to reward people in service. It's a great reward for all my hard work and sacrifices," he enthuses.

I.B.

Biography & Awards

1996 naissance au Cateau-Cambrésis (Nord)

2014 chef de rang à La Gentilhommière, à Artres

2016 chef de rang à l’Hôtel Particulier et à l’Escargot, à Valenciennes

2017 ouverture de Chez Justine, à Valenciennes

2023 Trophée Jeune Talent Service en Salle

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