Marie GRICOURT

Chef : 1 restaurant Marie Gricourt was the first woman to work in the Élysée Palace kitchens, and trained under Christophe Hay, among others.

Presentation

Like many cooks of her generation, Marie Gricourt opted for a classical education, obtaining a general baccalaureatebefore entering the restaurant business. " However, Ialways knew I'd be a cook," explains Marie Gricourt, whose father, now retired, was a chef at the French Ministry of Finance for 35 years.

Marie Gricourt's first experience was in the kitchens of Sébastien Gravé, then in charge of Les Fables de la Fontaine and Pottoka, in Paris's ^7th arrondissement. " The weeks there werevery long, but Ilearned a lot. Then I went to Le Pré Catelan, where I was doingone repetitive task after another, but it was a period Iloved, working ina small,close-knitteam.And now I peel crabs like nobody's business," she adds with a laugh. She was awarded the title of Best Apprentice in France in 2013.

A memorable stint in theÉlyséePalace kitchens

Marie Gricourt then joined Thomas Boullault'sL'Arôme, then Le Diane, the gourmet restaurant at Fouquet's,before moving on to Le Bristol.In 2017, she became the first woman to join the Élysée kitchens. " I passed a competition and Guillaume Gomezrecruited me.Istayed there for two years in an atmosphere that was both joyful and family-oriented."

The young woman then seized the opportunity to work with Christophe Hay, who regularly collaborates with her father on charity dinners. After a year with our Chef of the Year 2021, Marie Gricourt was offered the position of chef at La Table d'à Côté, in Ardon. "Obviously, I had to submit my ideas to Christophe and, as the months went by, our points of view became too divergent. Ihad the opportunity to create my own restaurant in Orléans and,after cutting back for a few months to recharge my batteries, I took the plunge."

Gric to open in September 2023

And so it was that Gric saw the light of day in September 2023, just a stone's throw from the Loire. A success story for the woman who, from an early age, had set hersights on opening her own restaurant before her thirtieth birthday. "There are three of us in the kitchen, all alumni of Christophe Hay, and two in the dining room. My cuisine is gourmet, fun and affordable, and so far,ourcustomersarefollowing us." A just reward for thisyoung woman who is both humble and full of enthusiasm. Gault&Millau immediately awarded her a fine 12.5/20 and the Cuisine des Prairies et des Pâturages trophy for the Centre-Val de Loire region.