#Yoann Conte

Yoann Conte – crowned “Chef of the Year” for 2024 by Gault & Millau

By winning the prestigious title of Chef of the Year, Yoann Conte, Chef at the renowned La Maison Bleue restaurant in Veyrier-du-Lac, confirms his place among the top names in gourmet cuisine in France today.

This honor was awarded by the legendary yellow Gault & Millau restaurant guide during the annual ceremony that took place on November 6, at the Aremenonville Pavilion in Paris in front of an audience of more than 500 guests.

We took to the opportunity to ask him about the entire experience.

What was your reaction when you learned that you had won this prestigious award? What impact has it had on you and your team?

I admit that I cried. They say that during a momentous event, you can often see your life flash before your eyes. I think that I experienced something similar, even though in this case, it was more like feeling an outburst of many intense emotions all once; especially since winning the award was completely unexpected. I considered myself an outsider given the other major chefs nominated for the title: Olivier Bellin, from Auberge des Glazicks in Plomodiern, Olivier Couvin, from the Paul Bocuse restaurant in Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, and Jérôme Banctel, from the Le Gabriel restaurant in Paris.

As I was swept up in a tornado of emotions and feelings, all of a sudden, a whole host of powerful memories resurfaced: happy times, successes, as well as failures and obstacles that I had to overcome. After earning two Michelin stars and a rating of 19/20 in 2021 from Gault & Millau, a childhood dream has now come true: seeing my name next to so many famed chefs who I have idolized and admired for years. An excellent rating, while rewarding, feels so temporary, whereas the title of Chef of the Year is an honor that stays with you for life.

It is important for me to specify that this title does not just belong to me as a chef, but to an entire team of eighty dedicated individuals who work side by side with me every day to make sure that our guests enjoy a wonderful experience. Alone, we amount to very little. My wife is also an extremely important link in the chain, supporting me day in and day out, always encouraging me to explore my creativity, and without whom none of this would have been possible.

How do you feel about your career thus far?

I feel a great sense of accomplishment mixed with a certain amount of pride.

I think back on all the years of hard work and moving my way up the ladder rung by rung, and of often going against the wind. Every stumble offered an opportunity to pick myself back up and learn, to improve, and I continue to apply this approach in everything I do, since failure simply isn’t an option. When I was thirteen years old I started apprenticing, and was constantly told that I would not amount to much given my chaotic, somewhat incomplete education. My career path has been paved with a mix of sacrifice, perseverance, and passion. But life is also all about serendipitous encounters and the people you meet. If I hadn’t crossed paths with Marc Veyrat, there’s a good chance that I would not be where I am today.

This fall, we saw you on the show Objectif Top Chef. What inspired you to embark on this new experience?

Until now, I have always turned down the opportunity to appear on television, but I decided to rethink my position. After being persuaded to pursue the opportunity, I decided to go simply as myself, with all of my faults and quirks. And I’ll admit that it was very fulfilling, offering me the chance to meet so many great people. It is clear to me that the next generation of chefs has arrived. We are witnessing the emergence of many young chefs overflowing with talent and desire, who ask questions, challenge you, and who push you go beyond the edge of the envelope.

If my experience can help, I think that the key to success is setting a course of action and sticking to it. When it comes to my style of cooking, while it has evolved over time as I have myself matured, it has always been a blend of Brittany, where I was born, and Haute-Savoie, where I grew up. I would like leave you with one last thought that has been stuck in my head, and today really means something to me: how does your average boy turn out to become so talented? And I think that if I can do it, others can, too. Move forward one step at a time, make good choices, and sometimes take risks to make your dreams come true, that’s the advice I give to young chefs that I meet and who I sometimes have the privilege of mentoring.