Grégory COUTANCEAU
Chef : 1 restaurant
"I put my first recipe on paper before I could even write, it was a crepe batter. As far as he can remember, Grégory Coutanceau always wanted to be a chef. But his father, who was himself a chef, imagined a more tranquil and serene future for his son. So Grégory began studying medicine. "But after two years, I gave it all up to follow my passion.
In 1995, after sharpening his first knives in the family restaurant in La Rochelle and learning pastry-making at the Lenôtre school, the young man set off to rub shoulders with excellence: Hélène Darroze, Frédéric Anton and Alain Ducasse. "With Ducasse, I opened 59, avenue Raymond-Poincaré, in Paris, before making a detour to the Louis XV, in Monaco. "
In 1997, Grégory Coutanceau returned to La Rochelle and, aged just 22, bought Les Flots: "It was an institution in La Rochelle, the restaurant having been founded in 1945. The son didn't want to take over.My father wasn't in favor, he thought I was still young, but I wanted to impress my parents." In the beginning, my cooking was an agglomeration of everything I'd learned from others. Over time, he forged his own identity and was soon awarded 2 prestigious toques. As a great defender of the region's gastronomic heritage, he sublimates the best local products. "My cooking is uninhibited, focused on meat juices and the sea " .
Building on this success, Grégory Coutanceau founded the Bon Temps brasserie in La Rochelle in 2004, followed by the Vivre(s) restaurant in Rochefort, in the former royal garrison. And, with a view to sharing and passing on his expertise, he created La Classe des gourmets in 2012, a cooking and sommelier school for adults and children alike.
In 2021, the chef expanded his culinary territory to the Gironde, and founded Au Marquis de Terme, a table nestled in the heart of the Margaux vineyards, with an award-winning wine list. And it's with pride that he also highlights his catering and events services: "Since 2019, I've been the official caterer for the Stade Rochelais. Rugby is a religion here. We can serve 3,600 people per match." Today, Grégory Coutanceau has no fewer than 105 employees on board for his human and gastronomic adventure.
B.G.
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