Geoffrey POËSSON
Accustomed to good food by his parents, Geoffrey Poësson turned to the restaurant business as soon as he could. After obtaining a CAP, then a BEP, he went to work for Roger Vergé at the Moulin de Mougins (Alpes-Maritimes). "It wasmy dream to work there," he recalls. After this experience, he resumed his studies, this time in pastry-making.
In 1996, he joined the brigade at the Armorial restaurant in Mandelieu-la-Napoule (Alpes-Maritimes). "I joined as chef de partie, then became head pastry chef. Sometimes, I found myself replacing the chef in the kitchen."As the years went by, the desire to discover new things began to make itself felt. "Seven years is a long time. I felt the need to change. I said to myself, if I'm going to move, I might as well go far away. So I went to the United States."In 2002, the young chef set up shop at the Union League Cafe in New Haven, Connecticut.
A year later, he was back in Europe, this time in Monaco, at Pâtisserie Canet. "My first experience in a boutique", Geoffrey Poësson points out. In 2004, while looking for a venue for his wedding, he was offered the position of pastry chef at Le Murier restaurant in Grimaud (Var). He worked there for a year, before moving to Sainte-Maxime (Var) as laboratory manager, then head chef.
The opening of his own restaurant, La Badiane, in 2006, marked the start of a new adventure. While he initially focused on market cuisine, the enthusiasm of his customers encouraged him to move towards more gastronomic fare. "Then, one day, Marc Esquerré [the director of investigations, editor's note] came by... I even remember what he had eaten!"From then on, one thing led to another: Grand de Demain and 2 toques in 2009, 3 toques in 2012, Cuisine de la Mer trophy in 2014 and Innovation trophy in 2017. "Everything I've done, I've done just as quickly thanks to Gault&Millau", he enthuses.
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