Pascal AUGER

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

Born in 1964 in Bourges, Pascal Auger learned to appreciate good food at an early age. "My grandfather had a comfortable retirement and loved taking us to restaurants. We used to take long drives in his Ford Taunus, and my taste for cooking was probably born at that time."

Pascal obtained his CAP in cooking. "I then joined L'Auberge du Bon Accueil, near Bourges, as an apprentice. We only worked with fresh produce, so it was tough but instructive. Then I was lucky enough to join Christian Giraud's restaurant at the Deauville casino. It was a nice change from my tiny brigade at Le Bon Accueil!"

After a year in the army, the young chef returned to Deauville, where he stayed for twelve years, still at the casino. "It was a great experience working with an excellent technician. Then, in 1990, I landed my first position as chef at L'Étrier in Deauville. I stayed there for two years, winning two Gault&Millau toques, before moving to L'Abbaye de Saint-Ambroix, in Bourges. I stayed for 10 years with Christophe Langrée, then as chef. During this time, I also allowed myself short stints with Alain Passard, to progress. "

In 2001, he took the helm at Chez Serge, a historic restaurant in La Rochelle, where, after extensive renovation work, he settled in for three years, earning a handsome 15/20 rating. "But then my friend Thierry Barbier offered me a new challenge. As always, new things attract me, and I followed him to the Château de Salettes in the Tarn, where I stayed for another ten years."

Since 2018, the man who never owned his own restaurant - "and now it's too late", he says with amusement - has been dispensing his fine gourmet and classic cuisine in the heart of Avignon, in the beautiful Hôtel d'Europe. "The place is magnificent and has been recently renovated. I'm lucky enough to work in an exceptional setting and to be able to work with the region's fine produce, such as the first asparagus and strawberries from the Gard, for example."

F. T.