International
Maxime LAURENSON
Chef : 1 restaurant
" Here, the word is given to wild nature and the farmers who tame it. My cuisine is like country life, raw and generous, marked by the power of the wood fire and the freshness of plants."These words can be found on the home page of the Rustique restaurant website. It's signed by the chef, who - like his cuisine - has a great personality.
Maxime Laurenson was born in the Velay region, his parents coming from a working-class, working-class background. "I always said I didn't want to cook," he says. Studying management, he left with a friend to work as a dishwasher for a season in the South of France. "I loved the atmosphere, the energy emanating from the kitchen."He then moved to Canada, where he launched his career as a chef, working in an Italian restaurant, doing street food and opening a French bistro in Vancouver.
In 2009, Maxime Laurenson returned to France, determined to make cooking his career. "I sent out at least 100 CVs, but only got three negative replies! In France, it's hard to find a position if you're self-taught."It was Michel Hulin, at La Cabro d'Or in Baumanière, who gave her a chance."I had no idea what a gourmet restaurant was, the atmosphere was top-notch, but I was working 100% of the time to catch up!"
He finally passed his CAP in 2010, and went on to work with Mathieu Viannay at La Mère Brazier in Lyon, with François Gagnaire in Le Puy-en-Velay, and with Jean Sulpice in Val Thorens."I had said I would never go to Paris, but I went there to work with chef Julien Roucheteau at La Table du Lancaster, and became his assistant."
Maxime Laurenson then landed his first position as chef at Loiseau Rive Gauche. There, he received his first Gault&Millau awards: the Terroir d'Exception Île-de-France trophy, followed by the Jeune Talent award. In 2019, he launched Rustique in Lyon with his wife Hélène. Since then, there's been no stopping him: 3 toques from the outset, a Grand de Demain trophy in 2021, and a rating that climbs to 16/20 in the Guide Jaune 2023, which indicates that the chef"is moving merrily towards the 4th toque!"
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