Stéphane CARRADE

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

From his grandparents' farm in the Pyrenees, where he grew up, Stéphane Carrade has a lilting accent and many wonderful memories. "My grandmother cooked incredible meals for the whole family every Sunday. On the menu: soup, home-made charcuterie, roasts... pigs raised on the farm. I loved eating the marbled lamb's head when I was 5 or 6; I still make it from time to time," he recalls.

The young man soon turned to the hotel school in Bordeaux-Talence, before heading to London once he had his diploma. Two years later, during his military service overseas, he discovered French, international and Reunionese cuisine. "Today, all these influences are reflected in my cuisine, which I call progressive terroir."After working with starred Relais & Châteaux chefs, Stéphane Carrade moved on to mentor Jean Bardé in Tours. "He opened my eyes to the importance of good produce. At the time, he was already a pioneer with a vegetable garden."The chef then put his talent to good use at Chez Ruffet, in Jurançon, where Gault&Millau immediately awarded him a mark of 14/20 (quickly rising to 15, then 16), and named him Grand de Demain 2003. He joined the kitchens of La Guérinière, in Gujan-Mestras (Gironde), where he was awarded 3 toques, and then those of the Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux.

In 2016, he moved to the Arcachon basin, where he spent his childhood vacations. He took over the Skiff Club at Sophie and William Techoueyres' Haaïtza hotel. He obtained 2 toques in his first season, then 3 toques in 2021. In 2023, he was appointed President of Exp'Hôtel in Bordeaux, taking over from Philippe Etchebest.

F. H.