I started off by studying international management so that I could travel and develop as a person, and rebelled against what might have seemed to be my natural destiny. But I’d spent my entire childhood with cooking. After proving myself in other domains, more specifically in the luxury and craft trades, in 1992 I decided to come back to the kitchen and train. My father had always hoped that one day I would take over the business. I was aware that to succeed my grandfather and my father, two pillars of French gastronomy, wasn’t going to be an easy task. In 1998, my husband and I took over the management of Pic on my brother’s departure. In 2001, Pudlo France elected me chef of the year. This was the first time I had been recognised by a food guide and was a high point in my career. In 2007, came the finishing touch with three Michelin stars.My cuisine, I would say, is simple and sophisticated. I attach supreme importance to getting the flavours just right.
I have an exclusive supplier for Maison Pic: Cyril Vignon, a fourth-generation vegetable grower. We have similar family histories and have been working together for a number of years. Starting a few months ago, we extended our collaboration even further. Today, Cyril allots his land to us and produces all of our vegetables.
I make it a point of honor to use only vegetables that are in season. Ever since childhood I have been especially fond of beetroot, as well as carrots, which I like to pair with unusual flavors like whisky and sobacha (roasted buckwheat). For me it’s very important to preserve the vegetable’s intrinsic taste, and to transcend it by combining it with another flavor that can lend it a certain roundness and prolong the sensation.
