Frédéric METZGER

Frédéric Metzger, a chef with a solid training background, is flourishing at the astonishing 48°Nord in Breitenbach. He was awarded the Terroir d'Exception Grand Est 2023 trophy.

Presentation

As a teenager, Frédéric Metzger wanted to be a chef, but his parents didn't see it that way. "I started out with little conviction on a bodybuilder's CAP (vocational training certificate), then miraculously obtained a BEP (vocational training certificate) in turning and milling. "At the age of 18, he left home and, while working at the Hôtel des Vosges in Birkenwald, then at Aux Douceurs Marines in Romanswiller, he obtained a cook's CAP, even though he admits he didn't grow up with gourmet parents.

At the age of 20, the young Alsatian crossed France to join the kitchens of the Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, working alongside Jean-Marie Gautier: "I joined as a commis and, five years later, I left as head fish chef. A wonderful adventure." Back in his home region, after a brief stint at Le Soldat de l'An II, Frédéric Metzger joined Erckmann Chatrian, the Richert family restaurant in Phalsbourg, where he stayed for ten years. "A long time for a young chef like me, it's true. I probably should have left earlier, but I enjoyed a certain level of comfort and held the position of chef there for the last three years."

A few months after leaving Phalsbourg, Frédéric Metzger joined Loïc Villemin at Toya in Faulquemont. He only stayed for six months, but this had a strong influence on his cooking at his restaurant 48°Nord, in Breitenbach. At nearly 40, the former lathe-mill operator has come into his own with his organic, locavore cuisine (the restaurant has its own kitchen garden), in which fermentations and extractions play the lion's share. "At 48° Nord, I can cook the way I like to cook, with seasonal, local produce. I've chosen to renew my menu frequently, because I get bored quickly. I hate routine in the kitchen. He says he's "blossoming" in this astonishing group of huts perched on a hillside. We don't doubt it for a second. Gault&Millau immediately awarded him the lovely mark of 14/20 and the Terroir d'Exception Grand Est 2023 trophy.

F. T.

Biography & Awards

1985 Naissance à Strasbourg

2003 Les Douceurs Marines, à Romanswiller

2005 Hôtel du Palais, à Biarritz, aux côtés de Jean-Marie Gautier

2010 Erckmann Chatrian, à Phalsbourg

2022 Chef du 48°Nord, à Breitenbach

2023 Trophée Terroir d'Exception