Michel Guérard
Michel Guérard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michel Robert-Guérard 27 March 1933 Vétheuil, France |
| Died | 19 August 2024 (aged 91) Eugénie-les-Bains, France |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, writer |
| Years active | 1947–2024 |
| Known for | Co-originator of nouvelle cuisine, creator of cuisine minceur |
Michel Robert-Guérard (27 March 1933 – 19 August 2024), widely recognized as Michel Guérard, was a renowned French chef, writer, co-originator of nouvelle cuisine, and the creator of cuisine minceur.
Early life and education
Born in 1933 in Vétheuil, a suburb of Paris, Guérard spent his childhood near Rouen during the Second World War under the care of his grandmother and mother. They operated the family butcher shop after his father was conscripted. His formative years were shaped by rural life in France and the hardships of wartime. Following liberation in 1944, an unforgettable meal inspired by Escoffier motivated him to abandon scientific studies in favor of culinary training. Additionally, he acquired basic cooking techniques from his mother and grandmother.
Career
Motivated by his grandmother’s baking talents, Guérard began his culinary journey at age 14 as an apprentice at Kléber Alix’s patisserie in Mantes-La-Jolie. He advanced to train in prestigious palace kitchens at Paris’s Hôtel de Crillon, where he became head pastry chef by 25. His career also included positions at Le Lido and Maxim's. In 1958, he earned the distinguished Meilleur Ouvrier de France award for patisserie.
During the late 1960s, while working at a modest restaurant in Asnières-sur-Seine, Guérard was acknowledged by the New York Times as a seminal figure in developing nouvelle cuisine. Alongside chefs such as Paul Bocuse and Alain Chapel, he played a pivotal role in transforming French haute cuisine by emphasizing lighter dishes with natural ingredients.
In 1965, Guérard launched his inaugural restaurant, Le Pot au Feu, which received two Michelin stars before closing due to compulsory acquisition. He also managed Hélène Darroze located within the Connaught hotel in Mayfair.
Spa resort and cuisine minceur
At Eugénie-les-Bains, Guérard owned a 16-hectare farm and operated Les Prés d’Eugénie restaurant within the historic Les Prés d’Eugénie Hotel. In 1972, he wed Christine Barthelemy, heir to the Biotherm spa enterprise. Relocating there in 1974, they restored the spa facilities and introduced cuisine minceur, a health-focused culinary style designed for wellness clients visiting the thermal springs.
Guérard sought to develop flavorful dishes low in fat and sugar tailored for spa guests suffering from metabolic conditions, addressing their culinary frustrations. As a trailblazer of nouvelle cuisine, he appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in 1976 under the headline "The new gourmet law: hold the butter."
From 1974 onwards, his Les Prés d’Eugénie establishment was awarded three Michelin stars, maintaining this accolade steadily for nearly four decades starting in 1977. This achievement elevated Eugénie-les-Bains into a renowned tourist destination.
His cookbook Eat Well And Stay Slim presents recipes based on cuisine minceur principles. In 1983, the couple purchased Château de Bachen, rejuvenating its vineyards and producing their inaugural vintage by 1988.
By 1992, they expanded their holdings with The Couvent des Herbes hotel, integrating upscale accommodations, a gourmet bistro, Guérard’s three-star restaurant, boutique lodging options, and La Ferme Thermale d’Eugénie spa. Their vineyard yielded approximately 37,000 bottles annually under the Baron de Bachen label. They also operate a cooking school aimed at amateurs and inaugurated a professional culinary training center in 2013. As of 2016, Guérard’s family oversaw management of 21 spas employing roughly 2,000 staff members.
Personal life and death
Michel Guérard and his spouse raised two daughters and resided at Château de Bachen, a property notable for its extensive collection of authentic French artworks and an expansive vineyard stretching over a mile. Guérard passed away at his residence on 19 August 2024, aged 91.
Restaurants
At the time of his passing, Michel and Christine Guérard managed three dining establishments in Eugénie-les-Bains. Their premier venue, Les Prés d'Eugénie, situated within the primary spa hotel, has maintained its prestigious three Michelin stars since 1977 and is renowned for its cuisine gourmande style.
Bibliography
- La grande cuisine minceur, co-authored with Alain Coumont, Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 1976
- La cuisine gourmande, Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 1978
- Petit almanach des inventeurs improbables et méconnus, with Jean-Paul Plantive, Ginkgo éditeur, 2003
- L'almanach des petits mestiers improbables, co-written with Jean-Paul Plantive, Ginkgo éditeur, 2004
- Petit almanach des plantes improbables et merveilleuses, alongside Jean-Paul Plantive, Ginkgo éditeur, 2005
- La Cuisine très facile, Recettes pour débutants ou maladroits, Ginkgo éditeur, 2006
Honours
- Knight of the Légion d'honneur
- Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
- Knight of the Ordre national du Mérite
- Knight of the Ordre du Mérite agricole
- Recipient of the Prix Eckart-Witzigmann
- Knight of the Ordre des Palmes académiques
Further reading
- Cailein Gillespie, European Gastronomy into the 21st Century (Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001), pp. 127–30