Ivan Vautier chef étoilé au Michelin

Ivan Vautier and Isigny Sainte-Mère,

At one extreme there are imposed marriages and marketing partnerships, while at the other there are obvious partnerships which were naturally meant to happen. This kind of perfect match is greeted with enthusiasm, rejoicing and exclamations of at last! This spirit is at work in the increasingly close links developing between chef Ivan Vautier and Isigny Sainte-Mère. You have not yet heard of Ivan Vautier? If not, then here is a gap which we must fill straight away.

In his thirties, Vautier is quiet, charismatic and passionate about food. This man has rapidly broken with all the stereotyped images of the Norman as an austere and withdrawn character. What is the key word at his restaurant, the Pressoir ? He opened the establishment just a few years ago with his wife and it is hard to pick any single quality which sums it up. There is the incredible generosity and such a warm welcome. But there is a real creative genius which casts its spell over everything, a wish to surprise diners, to reinvent the Normandy terroir by adding an inspired personal touch. Take the glazed veal cutlet with Normandy specialities pommeau and teurgoule (sweetened arborio rice cooked with milk) cooked in the imperial style, or the upside down tart made with fresh tomatoes and served with small snails in tempura batter. With so many flavours and oblique references Vautier has managed to enthuse and seduce the panel of the redoutable Champérard gourmet guide to France. He was voted Young Chef of the year for 2001, for which the citation praised his ability to offer: dishes which dare to be different. This cooking style combines both the exotic and the familiar... This is a fitting accolade for a man who was apprenticed to Michel Bruneau at La Bourride and worked under the exacting conditions imposed by Le Divellec and Boyer.

This rising star of the French gastronomic universe places his trust in the savoir-faire of Isigny Sainte-Mère for his seasonal cuisine, as he defines it himself: “What matters to me today is to work alongside people in whom I have complete confidence, people who know how to combine quality and consistency. Above all, I need to know that behind these products are inspired men who respect the terroir. Today I work with Isigny Sainte-Mère because of the quality of its products. Because the Médaillon Camembert sets and maintains the highest standards, the Isigny butter and cream always performs consistently during cooking. In addition to that, Isigny Sainte-Mère is a co-operative in which the strong working relations between farmer, processor and marketing is unmistakeable. It is a precious alliance and a way of working in tune with my philosophy".

The partnership can be found on his tables in the form of a mille feuilles d’andouille viroise en petit crème de camembert Médaillon Normandy sausage wrapped in puff pastry with the creamy middle of a ripe Isigny Sainte-Mère Médaillon Camembert. Needless to say, his cheese trolley is laden with the best cheeses the region can offer, in peak condition, while diners can also enjoy an ice cream made with caramel and salted Isigny Sainte-Mère butter. He is also appearing on the Isigny Sainte-Mère website, offering recipes which are: simple, easy to make and faithful to the ingredients. The project envisages a three course (entree, main course and sweet) menu for every season of the year, a fitting complement to the seasonal cuisine to which he is passionately attached.

We have already made haste to try these gastronomic marvels which, it is sure, will make us exclaim with wonder and remind us that, if this partnership represents strength through unity, it is also the best guarantee of quality and authenticity which you can possibly have…

Ivan Vautier is a Regional Delgate (Normandy) for the Association of Young European Restaurant Owners (EYRO)