Frédérique HÉNAFF

Head sommelier : 1 restaurant

Presentation

Born in 1972, Frédérique Hénaff grew up in a family of restaurateurs: "I was born into the cooking pot". From the age of 14, she dreamed of being a food critic, but also saw her parents' talents blossom when they worked in the vineyards. Sommellerie then took over, and it was only natural that in 1987 she should enter the hotel school in Quimper. On leaving in 1990, she spent a season in Sainte-Anne-la-Palud, where she met her husband Lionel, who was to become her partner in crime. The couple moved to the Vallée de Chevreuse, where they worked as chefs de rang in a gourmet restaurant.

After this experience, in 1992, she decided to take a sommelier diploma in Vannes: "I had a good knowledge of wine, but I realized that I needed a diploma to have legitimacy. " With her training in hand, she set off to rub shoulders with various winegrowers, but also worked in contact with cellar masters, in order to "understand this important part of winemaking too".

In 1995, the couple flew to Ireland to work in a restaurant on Galway Bay. Frédérique Hénaff was in charge of the dining room and sommelier for two and a half years. Back in France in 1998, she became sommelier and restaurant manager in Tain-l'Hermitage. By this time, the idea of opening her own restaurant with her husband had long since taken root, but the opportunity presented itself to join forces with her parents. In 1999, the couple joined forces at the Roseraie de Bel Air in Pluguffan (Brittany), where Frédérique worked as sommelier.

In 2015, after a few misadventures, the couple headed for Quimper and opened Allium, with the help of participative financing. Today, Frédérique Hénaff says it quite naturally: "I welcome people as if I were welcoming friends at home." And when you talk to her, it's easy to see why people leave with smiles on their faces. The Gault&Millau awards her the "Accueil pour la Bretagne" trophy for 2023.

T. L.