The foreman of the jury 2008

Son of a famous restaurateur leading le Clos Fleuri at Saint-Priest-en-Jarez near Saint-Étienne, Pierre Gagnaire first ran a restaurant in Saint-Etienne. It is in that place that he first obtained 3 Michelin stars.

Pierre Gagnaire settled in Paris, rue Balzac, in year 1995 and obtained 3 more Michelin stars a few years later. He recently opened a restaurant in London, a simpler one in Paris, and now thinks about going to Japan.

His cuisine is singularly imaginative and he uses techniques of molecular gastronomy. His dishes often look like a constellation with a main plate surrounded with many satellites. Some simple ingredients - turnip, giblets... - take a spectacular appearance. Besides, he co-wrote a book with the chemist Hervé This: La cuisine c'est de l'amour, de l'art, de la technique, published in year 2006. Pierre Gagnaire is a member of l’Académie Culinaire de France (France culinary academia).