Romain VIENNE
Chef : 1 restaurant Chef at Le Presbytère in Lecelles, Romain Vienne is the embodiment of inventive local cuisine, deeply rooted in the Hauts-de-France region, where tradition and creativity go hand in hand with sincerity.
Even as a child, Romain dreamed of cooking: " My parents weren't in the business, but my grandmother cooked a lot. I made my first dishes with her. So Romain Vienne set his sights on becoming a chef. at the age of 17, he took his BEP cuisine exam as an independent candidate.
From top brasseries to prestigious establishments
One of his first memorable experiences was at La Laiterie (3 toques), a bourgeois establishment just outside Lille. There, he met Benoît Bernard. " It was thanks to him that I gained confidence; he was the chef who made me realize that I was cut out for cooking ".
Then it was off to Burgundy and the Relais Bernard Loiseau (4 toques). He joined the brigade as a commis, climbed the ranks and became chef de partie for meats and sauces: " This experience undoubtedly had an impact on the "Tradition d'aujourd'hui" award I received, as I learned the fundamentals of French cuisine: juices, sauces, cooking meats ".
But the chef insists: " It 's not just prestigious establishments in my career, I've also worked in 250-cover brasseries. that enabled me to see what suited me and what didn't ".
A visceral attachment to his region
After Burgundy, Romain returned to his roots. He joined the Clarance in Lille (2 toques). While others want to travel around the world, Romain Vienne has always wanted to treat people close to home: " Opening a restaurant in the Presbytère de Lecelles has been on my mind for a long time. I lived in Lille for almost twenty years, but I knew I'd be back. That was the original plan.
In February 2020, he made his dream come true. Le Presbytère opened its doors after a year and a half's work, transforming the abandoned religious building into a living table.
Hauts-de-France gastronomy is his playground. Offal, pâté de tête, mackerel: raw products that he has always known and loves to revisit. "I love unexpected combinations, like sweetbreads with langoustine". And his gamble paid off: in 2021, he made the Gault&Millau 109 list. " After barely a year in business, it's been a great consecration, but we're still trying to evolve ". The "Tradition d'aujourd'hui" award doesn't stop Romain Vienne from thinking about tomorrow.
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