Batch. The delicacies of Pascal Bardet, starred chef of Gindreau and “Gault&Millau d’or”

Winning journey for Pascal Bardet, starred chef at Gindreau in Saint-Médardwho has just won the Gault&Millau d’or ; revelations of a gourmand, who Figeacois in Monacohas always known how to keep his feet on the ground and maintain his love of the Lot!

Leaving Cahors for Saint-Médard, about twenty minutes by car, I wondered who I was going to meet through Pascal Bardet… Along the way, the image of a chef jostled in my mind, that of of an artist, of a creator… maybe even that of a poet, who knows?

In any case, I knew that I was going to meet a sort of alchemist of flavors and colors, whose notoriety has taken on national dimensions, in the world of gastronomy.

Lotois he was born, Lotois he remains

In fact, I didn’t really know which man I was going to be dealing with, on this late afternoon in May, when the sun had magically kept away the rain, which had been so stubborn in recent weeks. A happy omen, I said to myself, taking the shortcut that leads us opposite the village of Saint-Médard, with its houses clustered on the hillside. I advance following the discreet signpost “Le Gindreau” which invites us uphill to cross the village in a zigzag pattern. Then, we descend gently to the sanctuary of the Michelin-starred chef, recently promoted to “Gault&Millau d’or”. The establishment, which can barely be seen on its right, overlooks the valley which hardly disturbs the cowbells of a flock of sheep grazing on the fresh grass… This is where Pascal Bardet, in this idyllic setting, plays his partitions, at Gindreau, a place where as soon as you walk through the door, you are assured that “everything will go well”, as the welcome is warm and the decor charming.

“I am a foodie above all! »

But who is this man who refuses to let himself be considered an artist, a creator, a champion of cuisine, in perpetual search of the most delicious notes to make his guests’ palates sing?

Married to Sandrine, father of two children, Pascal Bardet is perhaps first characterized by his naturalness which he has never lost. Lotois he was born, Lotois he remains.

“Artisan, yes, it’s our everyday work! » he admits. Gourmand ? ” It’s certain ! » he agrees, knowing that it is not possible for him to hide this guilty pleasure, which everyone knows about. To the question “what guides you in your approach?” », his response still takes on a rather enigmatic touch with this almost obsessive way of not putting himself forward:

“These are people who create materials and who function in places! » This is in any case the answer that one can find by consulting the menu card, itself slipped into a leather pouch… Each dish presents itself as a revelation of earth, water, farm, which is staged according to the seasonal calendar. “In this chain of elements, there are people,” insists Pascal Bardet, who knows what he owes to the producers of raw materials, the very people he takes care to handpick. Pascal Bardet: composer, who knows how to combine various elements on the plate and even in the poetry of the decoration. “Our round tables are not really round, because nothing is perfect in life! » he continues. But what guides Pascal Bardet in his approach, which on the one hand leaves nothing to chance and on the other hand seems open to all daring? “Deliciousness is what thrills me, both for myself and for my guests! »

From the cantou to Monaco, then to Gindreau

Listening to him talk about his childhood in Figeacois, in this peasant environment, notably with his grandmother in Prendeignes who cooked “at the cantou”, we can easily imagine Pascal Bardet rushing at the first exclamation: “At the table! “. It is therefore gluttony, its driving force, the starting point of everything else; this wave of the magic wand which orchestrates his life and his gastronomic universe. And from there, as if everything happened naturally… After the Quercy-Périgord hotel trade school in Souillac, an internship! And even though he had to be pushed to leave the Lot! He who did not want to give up on his native Figeacois. Pascal Bardet ends up presenting himself at Alain Ducasse in Monaco, one of the international references in the fields of cuisine and the art of living. The feeling of taking a leap into the void for Pascal Bardet! But also an incredible opportunity that he will seize! And who, for 18 years, will shape who he has become today. Former three-star chef in Alain Ducasse’s galaxy at the Louis “But we don’t live for distinctions, even if they mark a certain recognition which honors us and the whole team! » he emphasizes, before ringing the bell for the brigade photo. “The main thing is to be able to cultivate your passion! » he continues. And his is the gluttony which is available at all levels and at all times, which has not let him go, from his grandmother’s inglenook kitchen, to Gindreau.

Joachim du Bellay would have concluded: “Happy is he who, like Pascal Bardet, has made a beautiful journey, And then returned, full of use and reason…” leaving us to add: who today knows a starred consecration doubled by the Gault&Millau of gold !

Contact: Tel. 05 65 36 22 27 or [email protected] ; site: www.legindreau.comPossibility of booking guest rooms and apartments.

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