Hélène Darroze
| Hélène Darroze | |
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 Hélène Darroze in 2007 | |
| Born | 23 February 1967 |
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Culinary career | |
| Cooking style | French cuisine |
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Hélène Darroze (born 23 February 1967) is a French chef. She has three Michelin stars and three restaurants, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught in London, Restaurant Hélène Darroze in Paris and Moscow.[1]
Career
In 1990, after graduating from university, she began working for Alain Ducasse in the office of the Le Louis XV restaurant in Monaco.[2] She was convinced to enter the kitchen by Ducasse;[3] it was her only time working elsewhere than her family restaurant, and she later said that she was working in the office about half the time.[4] After working for Ducasse for three years, she returned to her family's restaurant and kept its existing Michelin star. After the restaurant suffered financial difficulties and closed in 1999,[3] she opened Restaurant Hélène Darroze in Paris and won her first Michelin star in 2001, picking up a second in 2003.[5] The second star was lost in the 2010 version of the guide.[6]
In 2008, she was named as the new chef at the Connaught in London, replacing Angela Hartnett, who had operated Angela Hartnett at The Connaught there on behalf of Gordon Ramsay Holdings. Darroze took over as part of a £70m refurbishment of the hotel, and in addition to the restaurant, she is also responsible for of the hotel's catering services.[5] Hélène Darroze at the Connaught was panned by restaurant critics when it first opened.[4] Food critic Jay Rayner described the food there as "Two of the very worst dishes ever to be served to me at this level".[7] Despite this, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2009,[8] and then a second star two years later in 2011.[2]
In 2012, she was admitted into the French Legion of Honour as a Chevalier (Knight) by President Nicolas Sarkozy.[9]
Personal life
Darroze is a fourth generation chef, the previous three having run a family restaurant in Villeneuve-de-Marsan, France. Before becoming a professional chef, she took a degree in business.[3] She was also the inspiration for the character Colette in Pixar Animation Studios' 2007 film Ratatouille.[3]
She has two adopted daughters from Vietnam,[4] Charlotte and Quiterie.[2] She alternates on a weekly basis between staying in London and in Paris, in order to split her time between her two restaurants.[4]
References
- ↑ Slater, Lydia (27 March 2014). "Three restaurants. Two daughters. Three Michelin stars. Hélène Darroze got a lot on her plate". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- 1 2 3 Kühn, Kerstin (21 April 2011). "The Caterer Interview – Hélène Darroze". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 McCarthy, Fiona (10 August 2009). "French super chef Hélène Darroze's secret Ingredient...". Daily Mail. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 Cavendish, Lucy (1 February 2011). "Hélène Darroze: two cities, two children and two Michelin stars. My mum says I'm insane". Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- 1 2 Afiya, Amanda (26 March 2008). "Hélène Darroze is named as the new chef at London's Connaught". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ↑ Kühn, Kerstin (18 January 2011). "Michelin awards two stars to Hélène Darroze". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ↑ Rayner, Jay (14 December 2008). "The worst of times". The Observer. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ↑ "Michelin stars in London". Michelin Online. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ↑ "Hélène Darroze admitted into the French Legion of Honour". Guide Girl. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.