Par
Edwin Bleunven
Published on
Dec 26 2024 at 7:56 a.m.
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The Carousel is the restaurant of the Château de Léognan wine estate, in Gironde. Housed in the middle of a forest settingthis property has madetourist reception a real asset with a hotel, lodges, cabins and a restaurant.
At the helm of this culinary establishment, a not-so-new face has appeared: Robin Bos. This young chef had already passed through the kitchens of Le Manège a few years ago. In this environment, he had climbed the laddergoing from clerk to second.
Memories which left him with a beautiful image of this place of gastronomy and which made him want to come back. A recorded return since October 2024.
A regional cuisine
So today, here it is alone in control and he intends to implement his ideas and exploit them. “I always want to work as closely as possible and respect the territory,” begins the cook. This relationship to products and local producers is a point he emphasizes every chance he gets. One of the fundamentals from his kitchen.
If Le Manège has always prioritized the local, Robin Bos, with his experience of a year and a half at Espace Darwin in Bordeaux, wants to go even further.
The Château de Léognan, a place of wine tourism
The Château de Léognan, in Gironde, is a wine estate, but not only that. Since 2013, the Miecaze family, at the head of the vineyard, has invested to make their property a place welcoming the public. It first happened with the arrival of guest rooms. Then in 2015, they opened a restaurant, Le Manège. In July 2023, the estate takes on another dimension with the transformation of the guest house into a hotel. Today there are 17 rooms, 3 cabins and 4 lodges (Napoleonic tents).
A cook who became a manager
In his previous establishment, the cook became a manager : “In Darwin, I managed 20/25 people. It was something else. It trained me. » An experience that he wants to use at the Manège.
If you have a good team and you do well for them, then everything will be fine.
The importance of his team is emphasized several times by the head of a thirty years who makes collective work its priority: “Everything doesn’t happen alone. The team is essential. Without it, we cannot work and we do not enjoy working. »
Its team and its beautiful table
He also wants to name his collaborators: Victor who arrived with him; Michaelhis second and former chef at Luna in Bordeaux; or even Martinwho has been at the Manège for a year. The latter had never cooked professionally, but today he is chef de partie under the orders of Robin Bos: “He is great invested and autonomous. So it made sense to give him this position. »
It also supports the importance ofroom service team who does high-end work and in particular Clément, the manager.
A team and a place that allow the chef to define his restaurant as “not a gourmet, a semi-gastro or a bistro, but a beautiful table quite simply. »
A local map where the entire product is exploited
At the Manège, the new leader relies on two pillars. Local products that respect a schedule specific to the producers and an enhancement of the entire product. “We use all the product, it seems logical to me. » Robin Bos wants to respect the product as a whole. He cites, for example, the scallop shell to illustrate his point: “Only the shell is thrown away. » In his dish of the moment, he combines scallops with coconut breading and a coral beard emulsion. Also on the menu is a starter based on beetroot and mackerel accompanied by a green juice sauce with tuiles and pickles. But also simpler dishes with quality meat: pork ribs, beef fillet or duck breast, accompanied by dauphine potatoes. “In winter, we have a more local clientele. A beautiful piece of meat is sought after and it works for them,” argues the chef.
15 years of cooking experience
If today he is the leader, he is aware of theimportance of the group. Indeed, he has gone through all kinds of experience in other kitchens.
Sometimes it’s war and it can be educational, but I prefer the spirit of camaraderie.
Since the age of 16 and hotel high school, Robin Bos has never stopped working: “The only time I really had a break was during confinement. » However, this rhythm suits him perfectly and l’desire is still there.
The motivation is even greater today after 15 years of experience. I find it in the freedom of creation and the always different daily life of this profession.
“There’s always a struggle and I love that”
Since he was little, he has loved cooking. However, the hotel school was really not his cup of tea: “ I was disappointed. The only thing I liked during these years was the internships. That’s why as soon as I was able to work, I never stopped. »
In this profession, he even likes the unexpected. “We don’t say it enough, but there is always a problem. You have to constantly adapt. I love it,” says Robin Bos.
Special menus for certain occasions
One of the things that is not like the rest of the year is the Valentine’s Day, Christmas, New Year type events. Moments that are close to his heart and for which he wants to set his menus apart.
We want to surprise.
During these festive times, the restaurant, for example, offers special menus. New Year’s Eve will contain its lot of surprises, kept under cover by the leader. However, he was kind enough to give some indications: “There will be deerand poissona piece of meat cooked in vine branches or a starter marinated foie gras with castle wine. »
A good way to discover the cuisine of this new South Gironde chef.
Address: 88 Chemin du Barp, Léognan. Contact: 05 56 64 14 96
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