Valentine LORCHER
Chef : 1 restaurant Trained at the tough Bacquié school in Le Castellet, Valentine Lorcher opened the Solea restaurant in Aups in 2024 with her partner Adrien Antelme.
Like many chefs of her generation, Valentine Lorcher did not follow the classic hotel school curriculum. She grew up in the suburbs of Toulouse with a mother who was an English teacher, but who would later go on to become a self-employed graphic designer. "But very quickly, I realized that university wasn't for me, this sudden autonomy threw me and I gave up. Somewhat by chance, but mainly because I loved cooking, I took the entrance exam to Ferrandi, which I passed, even though I had hardly any grounding at all a few months earlier. I had done a lot of preparatory work for that. "
Entrance to Ferrandi Paris
During her bachelor's degree at Ferrandi, the young woman took advantage of long internships in a number of Parisian restaurants to perfect her skills and, in her final year, applied to Christophe Bacquié. "I absolutely wanted to experience the world of top restaurants, where perfection is the order of the day. I spent several seasons at Le Castellet, first with Christophe Bacquié, then with his successor Fabien Ferré, occupying all the chef de partie positions. I even took part in the MOF training with chef Ferré, as a commis. " It was here, in the warmth of the kitchens, that Valentine was to meet her future companion, Adrien Antelme,
Aups opens its doors
The young couple eventually left Le Castellet for exile in Montreal, "with the idea of staying for two years. But I never really got used to it, and we returned to the Var for one last season in Le Castellet." The desire to set up their own business became apparent, and the two young men criss-crossed the department in search of the rare pearl, before stumbling across La Truffe, in Aups, which was for sale. "We didn't hesitate and opened Solea in July 2024. Adrien takes care of the pastry-making and set-up with me, before switching to the dining room during service, where he is supported by his brother. Feedback from customers and guides has been excellent, and our first few months have been a success."Our firstfew months have been a success, asevidenced bythe12.5/20 rating and theJeune Talent trophy awarded by Gault&Millau in 2025.
