International
Laurent LEMAL
"I remember in kindergarten we had cooking lessons. Seeing that by mixing eggs and flour you could obtain something, that impressed me." That's how Laurent Lemal began his career in the restaurant trade, starting with a vocational baccalaureate at the Lycée Hôtelier in Le Touquet.
In 1999, he joined the Hôtel du Parc in Neufchâtel-Hardelot (Pas-de-Calais) as demi-chef de partie garniture. A year and a half later, he joined the Flavio restaurant in Le Touquet. Then, in 2001, he joined La Bastide de Capelongue, in Bonnieux-en-Provence (Vaucluse), working with Bruno Caironi, former assistant to Alain Ducasse. A few months later, his boss sent him to Pont Napoléon, in Moissac, with Michel Dussau. It was there that he met his future wife and pastry chef, Julie. " And in 2004, a recruiter told me that a sous-chef position was opening up at Abbaye de La Celle, so I said, 'Okay, fire away!"
Next step in 2006: his first chef position. A regular, an advisor to Alain Ducasse, asked him to come and run the kitchens at Blanc Le Bistro, in Toulon. It was an important two years for me and my wife, " he says, "and gave us a good understanding of the restaurant business.
After a spell at Villa Morelia, in Jausiers (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), he took over the kitchens of La Coopérative at Domaine Riberach in Bélesta (Pyrénées-Orientales). Despite a number of difficulties - construction delays and an episode in the Cévennes - he stayed on for ten years, winning a string of competitions.After reaching the Meilleur ouvrier de France final in 2015, he followed Régis Marcon's advice and embarked on the Bocuse d'Or adventure. After winning France (1st) and Europe (4th), he made it all the way to the Bocuse d'Or Monde (5th), where he won the prize for best vegetal dish.
Since 2020, Laurent Lemal has been chef at La Balette in the Hôtel Relais des 3 Mas, Collioure (Pyrénées-Orientales). In recognition of his work, Gault&Millau awarded him 2 toques and presented him with the Techniques d'Excellence Occitanie 2023 trophy.
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