34 votesJean Andre Charial was only 24 when his grandfather, Raymond Thuilier, founder of world-famous hotel-restaurant L’Oustau de Baumanière, asked him to work in the restaurant and take over the family business. At that time, Chef Charial just finished business school at the prestigious HEC Paris and had no cooking experience apart from hanging out in the kitchen when he was a child. Pretty soon after a few days at the Baumaniere, he caught a passion for the culinary profession and trained under the great chefs of the time including Alain Chapel, Paul Bucose, Freddy Girardet, Jean Troisgros, and Paul Haeberlin.
From his grandfather and illustrious mentors, he learned respect for the ingredients, imagination, and rigour. His cuisine is traditional and is rooted in Provence with an emphasis on the quality of fresh local ingredients. In his kitchen, seasonings and extras are not supposed to overwhelm or mask the essence of the main ingredient. He is proud of creating a menu that consists of vegetables grown in his organic vegetable garden. He goes to the local market and chooses his ingredients well, cooks them simply and passionately.
While his style is simple, his dishes are filled with wonderful and surprising creativity that harmonizes the colours and flavors of Provence. He manages to combine new ingredients together for a refreshing take on the Mediterranean classics. Earning two Michelin stars, Jean Andre Charial is one of the most sought after chefs in the region as well as in the country. In his off hours, he is also a gardener, a winegrower, and the head of the company.
Jean Andre Charial also manages to produce 8,000 bottles of his own biodynamic red wine, “L’Affectif,” in a vineyard that belongs to his friend Jean-Daniel Schlaepfer at the Domaine de Lauzieres. Charial wanted to make a gutsy wine that had a strong local accent and the character of the winemaker. His winegrowing passion also grew from his explorations of food and wine pairings under the tutelage of oenolgist Jacques Puisais.
