Maxime LESOBRE

Chef : 1 restaurant Having worked at Banctel and Passard, Maxime Lesobre is crowned Grand de Demain 2024 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté at the helm of the kitchens at Château de Courban.

Presentation

The son of a butcher and pork butcher still in business in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Maxime Lesobre remembers the large family gatherings of his childhood. "My parents have many brothers and sisters, and there are often a lot of us at the table. It's always a great time."

Many prestigious tables

At the age of choosing his career path, Maxime Lesobre hesitated between jewelry design - "an activity that fascinates me " - and cooking. He joined Ferrandi in Versailles, worked in a bistro in Coignières, a brasserie in Versailles, before joining Le Laurent as a commis, then opening the Royal Monceau restaurant.

"I then joined La Grande Cascade, with chef Frédéric Robert, my mentor. I did two stints there, including one as sous-chef, interspersed with experience in Michel Rostang's group, as rotating chef for his Parisian tables, then at L'Arpège. I then spent almost a year with Jérôme Banctel at La Réserve, before joining Thomas Boullault at L'Arôme. A very charismatic chef, with whom I loved working."

A new start at Château de Courban

After three years at Maison Boutary and a short stint at a newly inaugurated hotel in the Loire Valley, Maxime Lesobre was recruited in early 2024 by the owners of Château de Courban, Pierre and Christine Vandendriessche. "It's a beautiful, peaceful place, far removed from the hustle and bustle of Paris. But it's a very popular address, particularly with tourists from Northern Europe, who appreciate the charm of the place and my rather classic, sincere cuisine, which is based on the finest products from the region." Gault&Millau backed him and named him Grand de Demain Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 2024.