Vincent BERTHOMEAU

Chef : 1 restaurant For the past twenty years, chef Vincent Berthomeau has been serving 2-toque cuisine in his attractive Nantes home, L'Abelia.

Presentation

My father was a farmer, but he touched on everything," says Vincent Berthomeau. He also worked as a blacksmith, carpenter and joiner, which was too much for me. So I used to hang out with my grandmothers, who gave me a taste for cooking," explains Vincent Berthomeau, who joined the CFA in Saint-Michel-Mont-Mercure (Vendée) in 1983, and did his apprenticeship in a small village restaurant. In 1986, after fulfilling his military obligations, the young commis joined Joseph Drapeau's brigade at the Beau Rivage restaurant in Les Sables-d'Olonne. "He was the one who really got my foot in the door. He opened my eyes and inspired me to strive for excellence."

After writing for a number of prestigious establishments, Vincent Berthomeau moved to Paris and worked his way up to chef de partie at Le Laurent, before joining Pierre Marchesseau's brigade. In 1991, he opened one of Guy Savoy's Bistrots de l'Étoile, on rue Troyon, run by William Ledeuil. "Inspired, Vincent Berthomeau took over the reins of the Avenue Niel Bistro at the age of 26.

The chef and his wife felt the urge to open their own restaurant. In 1995, they took over L'Esquinade in Nantes. The adventure lasted ten years and ended with the birth of L'Abelia in 2004, nestled in a beautiful 1900 mansion with garden and terrace. Vincent Berthomeau offers traditional gastronomic cuisine based on seasonal produce.

B. G.