“People prefer to eat less meat, but to indulge themselves with a very good poultry or a nice piece of beef”

“I have always been immersed in the world of the butcher shop. After briefly trying to pursue higher education, I started setting my alarm clock for 4 a.m. to go to work with my father, then to a butcher retailer in the 19^e district of Paris. My family is known for having launched the Boucheries Nivernaises, created in 1954 by my grandfather from Loiret. In 2013, we took over Le Coq Saint-Honoré, an address specializing in poultry, and I was appointed director, which allowed me to become as specialized in this sector as we were for beef meats, by looking for the best products and the best producers.

“The professionals I work with feed and care for their animals with incredible attention, and the results are felt on the plate. These are stories that are as culinary as they are human. “

Sourcing the products, meeting the artisan breeders is what fascinates me the most, alongside the collaboration with the chefs, who transform the raw ingredients that I provide them. The trend today resonates with my view of things: people prefer to eat less meat, but to indulge themselves with a very good poultry or a nice piece of beef once a week, and that suits me well.

As a result of the health crisis, the Coq Saint-Honoré store had to close its doors. We have opened a new branch in a large area of ​​the Rungis international market – the nerve center of gastronomy – in order to continue serving restaurants. As for individuals, we will soon offer them a website, where we will combine raw products and recipes from chefs who use them. It’s a way of getting out of the “bloody” aspect of the profession, to go to the “cooking” side, to step aside to sell almost directly from producer to consumer, passing through the know-how and gluttony boxes.

I work with breeders whom I really appreciate: Arnaud Tauzin, in the Landes, with whom we have always worked; Bénédicte Poisot and his Poulardes de Culoiseau; Pascal Cosnet, nicknamed “the Druid”, and his poultry (of old breeds) from La Cour d’Armoise; or even Philippe Pierre, of the Red Fox, and his pigeons, quails, partridges, pheasants. These professionals feed and care for their animals with incredible attention, and the results are felt on the plate. These are stories that are as culinary as they are human.

At home, I love to cook, simple things like more elaborate dishes. When we meet as a tribe, I like to change the traditional family meals. So, rather than a roast chicken, I am going to offer a Passard-style poultry, half chicken, half a can, for example, or a goose capon at Christmas, taste experiences that delight and delight everyone. Every evening, I lovingly cook dishes for my 4 year old son. This risotto recipe, which was my father’s specialty, I am preparing for him. A soft rice with chorizo, served with sot-l’y-lets – the best part of poultry, the one reserved for loved ones … and a recipe that ties together our history. “