Jean Imbert:

He alone embodies a success story A French style with global influence and a glamorous taste that fits perfectly in an age where social media rules. At just 43 years of age, Jean Imbert has conquered an empire that he rules with a gentleness that is emphasized by all. Discovered by Top Chef in 2012, a hard-working, inventive cook, but heritage-loving, curious about everything, the ideal representative of the gastronomic new guard, an idol of the star system without ever being a snob, he also remained human. the land tied to his family and his Breton roots on the Emerald Coast.
At the helm of many establishments, including the prestigious Plaza Athénée, already the first star, he also presides over the fate of the Venise Simplon-Orient-Express. It is in this legendary train that he has just revealed his new collaboration with Nespresso, a collection of three coffees, three flavors inspired by the world of travel, the star of the holiday season and accessories, so many invitations to enjoy. Interview:

Madame Figaro. – What makes Jean Imbert run?
Jean Imbert: The dream. Magic. This may sound like a bit of a cliché, but it’s close to the truth. I have had the opportunity to realize many of my dreams: the Plaza Athénée, Brando in Polynesia, the House of Dior or the Venise Simplon-Orient-Express. I still have other dreams but no career plan. And then, we should not sleep on our achievements, I continue to fight to preserve the dreams I have achieved, to perpetuate them. Because catering is an earthly profession. if you miss one dinner, then two, then three, that’s it. You should focus on your work.

Some actors dream of Oscar. What is the holy grail for a chef?
I don’t want a paycheck. Of course, the star I got for the table at the Plaza Athénée made me happy and the teams happy, but my ambitions are gone. My ambition is beyond the everyday. pass the cards, make sure we eat well. And work hard. If you work well, then something happens and everything can make you proud. No one in my family was in the restaurant business and I took over from Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée. I’m happy about it all, and at the same time, you have to have the humility to know that you’re going through these places, that’s what makes it so beautiful and wonderful. I am a passerby. we mark the time, then pass the torch. These places, Plaza Athénée, Simplon Venise-Orient-Express, are iconic, legendary, they will continue to shine after me. So. All this means that I am in a perpetual motion: everything must change so that nothing changes.

Paris, Polynesia, Cannes, Saint-Barth, etc. How do you combine these multiple activities?
Of course I’m into everything. The connection between all these places is the kitchen. And I am not alone. there are teams. Each location is home to a team that I have chosen and can count on. The challenge is also knowing the names of the 600 or 700 people I work with. We are all connected by positive energy and a kind of brotherhood. You don’t do anything alone in the restaurant business. Teamwork: pure and hard, old-fashioned, fraternal. I need company, united people, otherwise I will explode from flight. I have to deal with everyone, otherwise it doesn’t work.

I need company, people together, otherwise I explode on the flight

Jean Imbert

Your parents were bookworms…
My father was a book collector. We had no connection with the restaurant business. My mother, however, was careful to only buy fresh or processed products, whether we were in L’Hay-les-Roses, where I grew up, or in Brittany on some weekends. My parents did not take me to restaurants. I was very noisy, they couldn’t stop me. I experienced my first 3 stars at the age of 28, at Pierre Gagnaire, a one-on-one lunch with my dad on my birthday…

Where did your early passion for cooking come from?
Probably from my grandmother and also, more selfishly, because I liked to cook myself. Before going to school, after coming home, I was cooking, I must have been 12 years old. For Christmas I ordered cookbooks and copper pots. I tried all the recipes, I could get up in the middle of the night to make brownies. Until I was 16, I never slept past 8:30 p.m., but I would wake up at 4-5 a.m. and cook. At 17:00, when I came back from school, I didn’t watch Club Dorothée, but I ate a rack of veal. It drove my parents crazy, especially my father. Even something as basic as tomato-mozzarella, I tried 200 different sauces. I was passionate, even possessed. I would make and repeat a recipe to extremes until I got it right. And on Wednesday, the school day off, I prepared it for the family.

At 17:00, when I returned from school, I did not look at “Club Dorothée”, but threw a rack of veal.

Jean Imbert

Did your parents end up supporting you?
My mother yes, my father a little less. He was making fun of me. He said: “Little John” (her nickname, editor’s note)he will make mayonnaise in life. He started at the age of 13 in a factory, his children’s dream of success was a bit stereotypical: a lawyer or a doctor. My father was a hard worker, he would go at 5 in the morning and we wouldn’t see him until 9 in the evening. The desire to become a chef 25 years ago was neither as popular nor as prestigious as it is today. But this adversity definitely built my resolve. This challenged me even more. It is certain that my father passed on hard work and will power to me. There was a very American side to our family, we had to be competitive, not lose. But I loved it and still do.

Is this the reason for your international success? Are you surrounded by Madonna, Beyonce, Pharrell Williams or JR…
Each bond of friendship with these exceptional personalities tells a particular story, but it is true that there is an affinity. I have no explanation for it. I am simple, I stay where I am, I don’t ask for anything. I’ve accidentally slept with American stars, formed strong friendships with some, but a chef should never take himself for a client. I stay where I am. When Plaza Athénée opened, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were there, I ended the night with them, but I wasn’t smart either; I don’t forget who I am. Moreover, apart from their fame, these artists that I have the opportunity to meet are very inspiring. Their involvement in their art is extraordinary. Their dedication, their strength, their talent, their attention to detail. It’s too hard. I also feed on all this. And what I would like to add is that cooking really does break boundaries and castes; it brings people together.

How do you feel about your own reputation?
I don’t feel famous at all. I didn’t do this job to become a chef – it’s a shady job. On the other hand, I like the kindness and goodness of people on the street. When I’m in my little market in Brittany and people approach me, I find it very exciting. There is a real bond with the chef because they respect the profession. They know that there is no noise, that it is done by hand, that it requires a lot of work.

A leader to be admired.
My grandmother. She cooked lightly, with difficulty, with hollow pans and dish towels that weren’t very clean. Nothing was wrong and yet it was great. Then I attended the Paul Bocuse school in Lyon. He was like a rock star to me. He was on the cover The timehe has a rooster tattooed on his shoulder. I was 15 years old, he made me dream as much as Marlon Brando. Some leaders are respected today, but back then it was very unusual.

Your immediate news is this collaboration with Nespresso. Creating a collection of exclusive, exclusive coffees…
This is a unique collection with delicate flavors, almond croissant, peanut and toasted sesame, as well as a more classic espresso. Coffee is not underrated in the culinary world, but we don’t talk about it much. We envisioned these three coffees three times a day: morning, lunch and snack. I love one in the morning, the taste of an almond croissant, I love an almond croissant. it’s a bit buttery, a bit ‘frangipané’, a bit like a Galette des Rois in a croissant. Working with coffee professionals was a great adventure. We went to Colombia and Peru, met farmers in unusual places, tested coffees, discovered blends. It was an unforgettable experience.