Jeffrey PESTANA

" Motivated by a love of food ": that's how Jeffrey Pestana sums up his entry into the kitchen. Born in 1994, the chef grew up in a family where the table was a pillar. From a Portuguese father from Madeira to a mother for whom Sunday meals are sacred, food is everywhere. " Food and pleasure have always been big issues for us. "At a very young age, he hesitated between the army and cooking. He chose the brigade, with its rigor and collective spirit.

Rejecting hotel school, he opted for an apprenticeship at the age of 14. After several rejections, he finally obtained a CAP from an Italian caterer in Chartres. It was a stroke of luck in disguise: his boss, who had trained with Christian Constant, gave him a solid grounding in French cuisine. " I learned about Italy, but with a real French backbone. "

Forged in the heat of gastronomy

With his vocational baccalaureate in hand, Jeffrey honed his skills in a demanding neighborhood restaurant, where he dabbled in everything from cooking to pastry-making to service. A versatility he still embraces today. " I make my own desserts. It's thanks to these basic skills. "Then came the call of gastronomy, and above all that of the Grand Monarque in Chartres. First turned down, then accepted "out of revenge ", he became chef de partie.

It was a tough start. " Six horrible months. But formative. "Under the wing of Nicolas Mendès, then Thomas Parnaud, he learned simplicity, generosity, then absolute rigor. " I had two mentors. One for gluttony, the other for discipline. "Four pivotal years that forged his identity and his relationship with the collective.

Finding his voice, without losing himself

After an interlude at the Jardin des Plumes with David Gallienne, whose gentler management style he remembers as " a dad ", Jeffrey felt the need to go elsewhere. He headed for Saint-Barth, in the ultra-luxury hotel business. It was a decisive experience, as much for what it taught him as for what it confirmed. " I saw what I didn't want to do in the kitchen. Too much bling, too much performance. "

Back in France, the projects came thick and fast. The Château Louise de La Vallière was the obvious choice. First position as chef, in a place steeped in history. " I'm inspired by the past, but without making old dishes. I look at what the monarchs ate, their tastes, their products. "He works on his menus with a culinary historian, rejects " bullshit ", and demands a French cuisine that is gourmet, seasonal, but never dogmatic.

A team approach to cuisine

at 33, Jeffrey Pestana is building a kitchen as much as a team. Continuous brigade, attention to schedules, constant presence at the post. " I can't see myself as a chef without doing the mise en place. "Here, everything is decided together, right down to the tastings. " Everyone has a say, even the dishwasher. "

His vision is clear: " We're not just here to send out plates. We're the bearers of memories. "It's a philosophy that reflects his career: demanding, embodied, deeply human. And resolutely forward-looking.