Nicolas MASSE
Chef : 2 restaurants Nicolas Masse is head chef at Les Sources de Caudalie Bordeaux, 4 Gault&Millau toques. Find out more about his career in gastronomy.
Myvocation came to me when I was very young, from my uncle who was a restaurateur," says Nicolas Masse. I liked everything about the job: the interaction with customers, the aromas of the cuisine... I did my apprenticeship at the Sofitel in Cherbourg, then at the Casino in Deauville. "
Nicolas Masse is a discreet chef, with no fancy titles to boast about, but who has steered his course to this point with accuracy and sincerity. "Some people have had extraordinary careers, travelling the world with the greatest chefs.Me, I wanted above all to learn and improve, and every experience has served me well. "
Blossoming at Les Sources de Caudalie
After Normandy, he headed south to Jean-André Charial's La Cabro d'Or with Alain Lamaison. He then moved on to the Villa Belrose in Saint-Tropez under Thierry Tiercelin, before taking up his first position as head chef at the Grand Hôtel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. It was here, for the first time, that Gault&Millau noticed him and awarded him 3 toques. "It was a challenge, but it didn't scare me.I didn't know the region, so I thought it was an opportunity for me. "
Arriving at Les Sources de Caudalie, right in the middle of the Smith Haut Lafitte wine estate, he saw a new opportunity. "Such a beautiful wine château is quite a unique environment. It's true that I've already spent fifteen years there, but I really like it here, and I get on very well with Alice and Jérôme Tourbier, who give me carte blanche.We try to ask ourselves the right questions, and to keep evolving. "
