Alain Ducasse

Alain Ducasse , born the September 13rd 1956 with Manor house-Sarrazin in the Moors, is a large chief cook Gascon, French, the Mediterranean N of heart. Twice three stars with the guide Michelin with “the Louis XV” with the hotel of Paris of Monte Carlo (since 1990) and with the “Alain Ducasse” with the Plaza Athénée of the Which occurred Montaigne with Paris (since 1996). He is president of the chain Châteaux and Hôtels of France since 1999 (more than 500 establishments) and directing Business man consultant of the “Group Alain Ducasse” , an international empire of Hôtellerie restoration of more than 20 establishments and 1400 employees. Classified 94e of the 100 most influential personalities of the world by the economic Magazine American Forbes.

Biography

Childhood

1956 it is born the September 13rd with Manor house-Sarrazin in a firm from the Chalosse in Gascogne in the Landes. It is resulting from a modest family of Agriculteur S and is grandson of Menuisier.

In the family farm, it forges the palate: “the Chalosse represents for me measurement standard of the original Goût S. Foie gras, Crystallized , Wood pigeon S, Boletus S… For the lunch, it was enough to go in the Vegetable garden to collect the Artichaut S, the Haricot S, the Tomate S and the Piment S. It was most beautiful Légume S of the world. And I was going to fish the Anguille S, the Brochet S and the pin S. the only thing which one bought, it was the Beurre. ”

Training

1972 16 years old, it enters in Apprentissage to the restaurant the “House Landais” of Soustons the Landes then made the hotel school of Talence (to 4km in the western south of Bordeaux in the Gironde) of or it snap the door in a few months of its diploma.

1975 it begins its career at Michel Guérard, Grand chief cook Three Stars with Eugenie-the-Baths (with 100km in the east of Bayonne in the Landes) during two years, punctuated of some passages at famous the Norman Pâtissier Gaston Lenôtre.

1977 it initiates with the Cuisine of Provence for which it has a sharp very favorite, with Roger Vergé with the “Mill of Mougins” close to Cannes on the Riviera.

1978 he becomes the disciple of Alain Chapel with Mionnay in Bresse which becomes its “main spiritual” and transmits to him the Culte produced, the concern of the Perfection and “the Bonheur to cook, i.e. to cause the Plaisir its hosts” .

The Terrace with Juan-the-Pines

1980 Roger Vergé offers to him the place of Chief cook of his restaurant “the Almond tree” with Mougins

Then it becomes Chief cook with “the Terrace” of “the Hotel Juana” of Juan-the-Pines between Antibes and Cannes on the Riviera or it obtains its the first two stars with the guide Michelin in 1984.

1984 27 years old, it escapes by Miracle with a Accident from private plane: a Piper-Aztec which leads it Saint-Tropez to Courchevel crushes the August 9th with five passengers; he is the only survivor. Seriously wounded, it undergoes thirteen operations and spends one year to the Hôpital where it must be rebuilt entirely before carrying out its great return in strength.

The Louis XV of Monte Carlo

1987 the Société of the Sea bathings of Monaco (SBM) proposes the challenge to create to him the gastronomical restaurant “the Louis XV” with the hotel of Paris of Monte Carlo, the de luxe hotel the most prestigious and luxurious of Monaco, close to the Casino of Monte Carlo.

1990 old of only 33 years, it obtains prestigious the third star of the guide Michelin for “the Louis XV” . the hotel of Paris becomes the first de luxe hotel world to obtain such a distinction.

1995 it creates “the Country house of Moustiers” with Moustiers-Holy-Marie in the Alp-of-High-Provence, in the middle of the Gorges of the Verdon in Provence, an inn of charm of twelve rooms which obtains a star with the red guide in 2002. It leaves the furnaces then and becomes the first big boss to ensure three stars and the success of large tables without being personally in kitchen.

Alain Ducasse in Paris

1996: the August 12th it takes again the old restaurant of “the hotel of the Park - (Marriott since 2007)” of Joel Robuchon of 59, avenue Raymond-Poincaré in the 16th district of Paris which it re-elects Alain “Ducasse” for which it only obtains one second time three stars with the red guide in 1997 after eight month of opening. He is then the only chief in the world with Marc Veyrat to cumulate his six stars with the guide Michelin.

1999: he becomes president of the chain Châteaux and Hôtels of France, a chain of more than 500 establishments of prestige.

2000: it transfers its restaurant Paris IEN “Alain Ducasse” from the Raymond-Poincaré avenue to the de luxe hotel Plaza Athénée of the Avenue Montaigne.

2004: it is made chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the President of the Republic Jacques Chirac

Foundation of an empire of hotel trade restoration of prestige

Alain Ducasse launches out in the foundation of the important empire of Hôtellerie restoration with his “Group Alain Ducasse” and repurchases Restaurant S, opens Hôtel S, joins, founds, creates concepts, settles everywhere with more than 1.400 collaborators in France, with the the United States, Japan, England, Suisse, China, Mauritius, Tunisia, Italy, Lebanon…:

1998: it creates the “Spoon, Food & Wine” with Paris which it declines in:

“Spoon desÎles” with the Mauritius in 1999
“Spoon + At Sanderson” with London in 2000 - 2007
“Spoon Byblos” with Saint-Tropez in 2002
“Spoon Food & Wine” with HongKong - in 2003
“Spoon of Snows” with Swiss Gstaad in in 2003
“Spoon Carthage” with Carthage in Tunisia in 2004

1999: he becomes president of the chain Châteaux and Hôtels of France, a chain of more than 500 establishments of prestige. He creates:

“L'Hostellerie of the Abbey of That” with That in the VAr, a middle-class house of the XVIIIe century equipped with ten rooms. Chef Benoit Witz.
the restaurants “bar & ox” of the complex the Sporting of Monte Carlo.
a professional training center “ADF the Councils & Formation” with Argenteuil in the Val-d'Oise, to detect new talents.
a school of kitchen for amateurs 55, Boulevard Malesherbes with Paris (Gastronomical Workshop)

2000:

the June 19th it creates, restoring it “Alain Ducasse At the Essex House” with New York (4 stars with the NewYork Times in 2001 and 5 stars with the Guide Mobil).
It transfers its restaurant Paris IEN “Alain Ducasse” from the Raymond-Poincaré avenue to the de luxe hotel Plaza Athénée of the Avenue Montaigne.
the “59POINCARE” of 59, avenue Raymond-Poincaré de Paris, an innovative restaurant dedicated to best produced Europe.

2001: it obtains three stars for its restaurant “Alain Ducasse” of the Plaza Athénée after only five months of activity.

2002: it takes again

the restaurant-bar “Iparla” of Bidarray to the Basque Country
the bar “With the Lyoneses” of Paris.
It creates the “the boulangépicier” with Paris.

2003: it creates

the “mix” its second restaurant with New York.

2004: it opens

the country inn “Andana Tenuta Badiola” in Toscane in Italy
the inn “the Hotel Ostapé” on the heights of the village of Bidarray to the Basque Country
“Tamaris” with Beirut with the Lebanon.
“the Mix” with Las Vegas on the last floor of the de luxe hotel THEhotel At Mandalay Bay.
“Beige” on the last floor of the shop Chanel with Tokyo.

2005: it opens

the bar Paris IEN “Benoit” in the 4th district of Paris.
It develops the inn “the Field of Andéols” in the Luberon which it integrates into its network of the Châteaux and Hôtels of France.
It creates the restaurant “Benoit Tokyo” in the luxurious district of Aoyama to Tokyo with the Japan.

2007: starting from January 1st, it manages the nine years concession of the restaurants of the Eiffel Tower (associate with Sodexho):

“Altitude 95” : restaurant of the 1st floor
“Jules Verne” : gastronomical restaurant of the 2nd stage
points of fast-food industry located on the square, with 1st and 2nd stages

The Group Alain Ducasse

The Turnover 2005 generated by its activities is of 44 million euros. It employs more than 1400 collaborators. He is the only French to belong to the classification of the hundred most influential personalities of the world according to the economic Magazine American Forbes.

One of the forces of the group Alain Ducasse is not to have almost any of these restaurants. It is right there “Conseil” remunerated by royalties. The group places the best cooks, the gratin of the personnel in room, defines the leading line of the menus and makes so that all that functions and releases from the benefit for the investors.

It repurchases lately 20% of the Holding/Investment funds of Assurance Vega Finance.

Anecdotes on the chief

the research of the “good” produced occupies a great part of its time: the choice of savors in perfect harmony with the place and the season represents a daily challenge for the Chief, who do not hesitate to make his Marché and to draw the Inspiration from his exceptional Créativité with the four corners of the France, and even with the four corners of the world.

Everyone admits a quasi infallible sense of smell to him to be surrounded of the best collaborators. “It has a sixth direction to detect the good people”

Little rest for this chief, who travels much in the world in Avion always between two time zones. Its maximum of hours of Sommeil on ground is 5 a.m.

It manages a fantastic file which does not count less than 300 cooks of which it follows the career of each one step by step. A fish pond for its empire.

Quotations

“the Chalosse represents for me measurement standard of the original Goût S. Foie gras, Crystallized , Wood pigeon S, Boletus S… For the lunch, it was enough to go in the Vegetable garden to collect the Artichaut S, the Haricot S, the Tomate S and the Piment S. It was most beautiful Légume S of the world. And I was going to fish the Anguille S, the Brochet S and the pin S. the only thing which one bought, it was the Beurre. ”

“large a Restaurant is not summarized solely with the customer S and the beautiful cars. Behind there are Rigueur, Passion, Amour of the work well done, Discipline and transmission of the knowledge. ”

Cookbooks by Alain Ducasse

“ the Large Book of Kitchen ” - ED. Editions of Alain Ducasse - 1080 pages
“ the Large Book of Kitchen the Mediterranean ”, 1080 pages
“ Spoon Cook Book ” - 456 pages
“ the Large Book of Kitchen, Bars, Breweries and Restaurants of tradition ” - ED. Editions of Alain Ducasse - 746 pages
“ the Large Book of Kitchen, Desserts and Pastry makings ” - ED. Editions of Alain Ducasse - 583 pages
“ Riviera d' Alain Ducasse ” - ED. Albin Michel, 1992 - 295 pages
“ Dictionary In love with the Kitchen ” - ED. Plon - 570 pages, ISBN: 2-259-19713-2,

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