Guillaume LECLÈRE

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

Born in Reims into a family of farmers and winegrowers, Guillaume Leclère remembers "many moments at the table". When it came to choosing a career path, he opted for the only one he had any interest in: cooking. He took a work-study CAP at Le Jamin restaurant in Reims, and left in 2002, more than ever attracted by the sun.

He headed for Montpellier, where he joined a friend for the summer season. He joined the catering team of MOF Gérard Cabiron: "It was a very enriching relationship". His mentor then encouraged him to work with a large catering brigade.

In 2005, Guillaume Leclère joined Marc Veyrat's team. " I fell under the spell of his world," he says, and the five-month season he was supposed to spend with him turned into four years, working between Megève and Veyrier-du-Lac. In 2009, he returned to Montpellier: "I felt the need to move on to something else." He joined Anne Majourel's kitchens. He worked on vegetarian dishes at Demeures du Ranquet for the first year, before moving on to La Coquerie, in Sète, where he cooked seafood.

Armed with these experiences, Guillaume Leclère felt ready to open his own restaurant, Leclère, in Montpellier in 2015: "I wanted to implement all my desires."Success followed for six years, during which he met many producers, breeders and fishermen: "I had daily access to exceptional products." But the pandemic put the brakes on this fine momentum. When the restaurant reopened in 2021, the chef realized that he was thinking bigger, and decided the following year to move to a larger space. " A successful gamble, rewarded by Gault&Millau with the Cuisine de la Mer Occitanie 2021 trophy and 2 toques.

T. L.