15/06/2022
The exodus of Paris' chefs to the countryside
Many top culinary masters are abandoning the French capital in favour of greener pastures, where they can have a hand not just in choosing, but in growing their ingredients.
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It began before the pandemic: an exodus of chefs abandoning Paris for the French countryside.
James Henry's 2017 departure was perhaps the most publicised. The Australian chef, who first skyrocketed to fame at small-plates trendsetters Au Passage and the former Bones, left the Parisian cityscape to work alongside chef Shaun Kelly (ex-Au Passage) on a passion project: opening a restaurant and inn in the small town of Saint-Vrain 30km south of Paris. The result – Le Doyenné – is set to debut later this year. And, as the pair plant their orchard and renovate the 19th-Century greenhouse and stables, they've also been supplying some of Paris' top restaurants with produce from their three-acre vegetable garden.
