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Sylvain Ercoli, General Manager of Le Royal Monceau, has appointed Laurent André as Executive Chef of Le Royal Monceau in Paris, a Raffles Hotel. Laurent André will be fully responsibile for the hotel’s F&B departments.
« I have decided to entrust the management of all the hotel’s F&B departments to Laurent André. This young Chef has already had a wonderful career, thanks as much to his international experiences as to his innovative and efficient management of new F&B concepts. It was obvious for me to choose this ex Ducasse trainee who will undoubtedly achieve the concepts devised with exceptional creativity and talent for the reopening of Le Royal Monceau.»
CHILDHOOD AND CUISINE
Laurent André was born in 1967 in the Jura (Eastern France) from where he retains his love of nature and the outdoors. His parents are restaurateurs and his grand parents are farmers.
Gastronomy had always been a family passion and his knowledge of local home grown produce was acquired at an early age. He was very young when he initially felt the desire to become a chef and despite his parent’s hesitations, he left home to start his training.
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EDUCATION
In 1983, he commenced his apprenticeship at a friend of his father’s restaurant - Chavannes Inn (1* Michelin) for 2 years.
However his ambition was to be trained by the very best of Michelin starred Chefs and secretly hoping to be hired by Alain Chapel (3* Michelin), he incessantly sent him his CV.
In 1989, his perseverance paid off and Alain Chapel accepted and hired him as a Station Chef.
Consequently, Laurent André became Alain Chapel’s apprentice where he broadened his culinary understanding in this celebrated institution of French gastronomy.
MEETING WITH ALAIN DUCASSE
In 1992, Laurent André started to dream about a career with Ducasse.
He requested and was granted a meeting with Ducasse in Monaco, which was initially meant to be a 5 minute-interview and ended up lasting for an hour and a half. Subsequently he became the 3rd commis of The Parsley Plate.
Henceforth the Ducasse adventure commenced; initial disappointment at the job rapidly turned into drive to succeed, Alain Ducasse smelt his potential and promised rapid promotion.
He kept his word and André was promoted to 2nd Sous-chef where he remained for a further 3 years at the restaurant Louis XV (3* Michelin).
In 1995, Alain Ducasse took up the celebrated restaurant of the Bois de Boulogne, “La Grande Cascade” (1*), and asked Laurent André to leave Monaco for Paris to experience a restaurant opening as a Second Chef. He remained there for 2 and a half years.
In 1999, his lucky break arrived and with the opening of « Le Relais du Parc » in Paris, also by Alain Ducasse, was asked to manage the opening as Head Chef for the first time.
The youthful new Chef then started working with his mentor on a new F&B concept; one based on concepts of freedom and modernity - open to international influences but still keeping to the identity of the product. A place where guests were able to explore unusual tastes and discover diverse methods of preparation and of cooking – with woks, steaming, plancha, roasting, pots...
The concept of SPOON was born.
In 2000, Laurent André came to London to open Spoon at The Sanderson hotel; he meant to stay for 3 months and ended up staying for 3 years.
THE ASIAN EXPÉRIENCE
In 2003, Laurent André moved to Asia to open the new Spoon in Hong Kong, the first French restaurant in The Intercontinental Hotel.
His Asian experience began and it was from now that he expressed a new found desire to explore fresh horizons and cutting edge culinary techniques.
Laurent André points out however that “working in Asia involves initially proving oneself and becoming completely immersed in your work before gaining any kind of respect.”
From 2005, the Intercontinental asked him to head the management of the entire Hotel’s F&B: 5 restaurants (Chinese, Japanese, French, American, and International buffet), and 2000 covers per day. He accepted and managed a 180-person team but currently admits that he himself never left the kitchen.
He developed his skills and his passion for sourcing produce that inspired his cooking and enjoyed fusing French and Asian flavours. French cuisine is highly regarded in Asia and demand for it is rapidly increasing.
«A soon as I arrived in Asia, my challenge was initially to introduce French gastronomy but the success of this inexorably rides on the ability to source appropriate local produce. Therefore, assisted by a couple of producers, I set up a system of importation with The Rungis Markets.»
His promotion of French cuisine throughout the world was rewarded by the « Order of Agricultural merit » from the French Consul in Hong Kong, his greatest achievement.
His aim has always been to bring pleasure to his guests. He adores contact with his clientele and whenever he can find the opportunity, tries to sit down in the restaurant to gather opinion, because as he likes to re-enforce, “the best advertising will always be the word of a satisfied and contented client”
His concept of cuisine revolves around total authenticity, the true taste of produce, good time keeping, presentation, as well as the surrounding decor and ambience.
BACK TO SOURCES
At the end of 2008, having spent 6 years in Hong-Kong, Laurent André decided to leave China and return to his roots.
The rebirth of Le Royal Monceau, scheduled for 2010, represents a new challenge for him.
The Hotel, which opened in 1928 is an established institution which is preparing to write an entirely new chapter of its history.
«I admit I am anxious about returning to France but I feel motivated by the excellence required by this project»
Very particular attention will be paid to the organisation and training of his team, a concept close to his heart, installed in him by his father from a young age and which was re-enforced by his time spent with Alain Ducasse.
This demanding Chef asks a lot of others but particularly of himself and henceforth will be lining himself up with some of the most celebrated French Chefs.
« I am hoping for some strong Parisian competition to spice up this exciting new experience for me »
Laurent ANDRE Experience
1995 Hotel restaurant le « Limouzi » Tulle (19)
Commis chef – Commis pastry
1986 / 1987 Defence Department - Military Service
Commis chef
1987 French National Assembly Presidence « Hôtel de Lassay »
Commis chef
1988 Rothschild Bank London
Commis chef
1989 / 1992 Restaurant « Alain Chapel » Mionnay (01) (*** Michelin)
Second cook
1992 / 1995 Restaurant « le Louis XV » Alain Ducasse - Monaco (*** Michelin)
Product chef
1995 / 1998 Restaurant « la Grande Cascade » Paris (* Michelin)
Executive sous-chef
1999 / 2000 Restaurant « le Relais du Parc » Paris
Executive chef
2000 / 2003 Restaurant and Hotel « Spoon + at Sanderson » London
Executive chef
2003 / 2005 Restaurant “Spoon by Alain Ducasse” Intercontinental hôtel, Hong Kong
Executive chef
2005 / 2009 Intercontinental Hotel, Hong Kong
Executif chef
Contact :
Mrs. Pascale ADONER
Director of Sales & Marketing
37, avenue Hoche
75008 PARIS, FRANCE
Tel : + 33 1 42 99 98 55
pascale.adoner@raffles.com
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