Martin BOLAERS
Chef : 1 restaurant Martin Bolaers came to cooking completely by chance, but quickly developed a passion for the craft, and now thrives in the kitchen of Les Jardiniers, in Ligré.Fate is often mischievous, and Martin Bolaers can testify to this. Completely unprepared to become a chef, at the age of 17 the young high-school student was hired as a dishwasher in a Vietnamese restaurant run by a family friend - "to finance my leisure activities", says the native of Liège with amusement. "It was a small place, soI quickly got to work making a few simple dishes. I quickly acquired a taste for the job.I think I had a knack for organization, and also a certain creativity. "
From a jet-set brasserie to a gourmet table
The young man nevertheless took courses to obtain a cook's diploma, and gained experience in Belgium in a number of fine establishments (La Grappe d'Or, La Régalade, L'Empreinte du Temps...), even working as a commis for the winner of the prestigious Prosper Montagné trophy in 2002. In 2011, at just 30 years of age, Martin Bolaers crossed the border into Luxembourg to take up his first chef position at Elch, in Luxembourg. "A small factory, often with 200 covers per service, many cooks not speaking French, but an extraordinary adventure and, after a few years, the joy of earning an unexpected 14/20 in the local edition of Gault&Millau. "
A decisive meetingwith Thibaut Ruggeri
In 2018, after the aborted project of opening his own restaurant in a village in the Vienne region, where he had settled with his family, Martin Bolaers entered the Abbaye de Fontevraud alongside Thibaut Ruggeri, the 2013 Bocuse d'Or winner. "A magical place, despite some of the burdens caused by the particular way the site operates, between private and public funding, and a wonderful chef from whom I learned a lot, despite our opposing characters. "
In 2023, the position of chef will be filled at Les Jardiniers, in Ligré, a unique address set in an old farmhouse with a huge vegetable garden and a vast truffle field. "The kitchen garden allows us to be virtually self-sufficient, explains Martin Bolaers, although it's more complicated with fruit. We use lacto-fermentation to preserve certain vegetables, and we've forged strong links with local producers, although we obviously don't rule out working with seafood, for example.It's an exciting adventure. "
Just two years after taking over the helm of the restaurant, Martin Bolaers has already won a second toque and a Terroir d'Exception trophy , an accolade that is bound to touch this lover of fine produce .
Its restaurants
