"Eating is something you do with all your senses."

Interview with Sylvain Belouin and Maxime Roullier - Young chefs form a colourful duo in the French Loire-Atlantique region.

Inspiration derives from creativity

French chefs Sylvain Belouin and Maxime Roullier say they are most of all curious. They complement the knowledge and experience they gained in large and leading restaurants, with inspiration from social media, books and contacts with colleagues. ‘Creativity is within everyone's reach. You have to work hard and know what you want, but also give yourself time and stay endlessly curious.’

The Loire-Atlantique region, a beautiful department in northern France, is characterised by beautiful beaches, green natural parks and cosy towns. If Sylvain Belouin, chef at Le 21 in the coastal town of Pornic, had to give his everyday surroundings a colour, he would choose green. ‘I think of jade. The colour of the sea water changes every day here: that's what I try to convey in our dishes.’ His local colleague Maxime Roullier, chef at Le Saint Paul in Préfailles, also opts for natural tones. ‘You only have to look around here to see an incredible palette of colours: the blue of the sea, the green of the vegetation, the colours of the sky. Every day again these colours are a source of inspiration. That's why I try to get integrate them in my dishes.’

An encounter from JRE

The two young chefs met each other as members of JRE, the international association of young restaurateurs and chefs. ‘The great thing about JRE is that not only can you share your love of food, but you also get to meet like-minded people in business, exchange ideas and share knowledge’, the chefs agree. At JRE, we support each other and share tips and advice. This is how we stay motivated.’

Sylvain Belouin discovered his colleague Maxime's cooking skills only last year and he was immediately
impressed. ‘Maxime's cooking is surprising, creative and uncomplicated. He is open-minded in his kitchen,
passionate and bold.’ For his part, Maxime says of Sylvain: ‘He surprises with unlikely combinations,
new flavours and local products. For example, sea bream served with eel sorbet or his chocolate cake with caviar and spirulina. In your mouth, it's an explosion of flavours from start to finish.’

The influences on all colourful creations

Not only the beautiful region in which they work colours the creations of these French chefs. ‘My wife and children colour my life’, says Sylvain. ‘But a beautiful vegetable or a fresh fish can give a day so much colour too.’ Maxime: ‘I would also like to add my team, which inspires me every day to find the best suppliers, the finest quality products and new ideas. If I had to work alone, I couldn't possibly deliver this quality.’

Respect for seasons

The region where they cook is an important source of inspiration for the chefs. The ocean with all its seafood
treasures is nearby and a little further inland you will find rich soil, with lots of different crops. Maxime: ‘We are lucky to work on a soil which is rich in minerals and iodine. We grow vegetables here that you can't find anywhere else. The same goes for our wines: the great diversity of the terroir and the proximity to the ocean and the Loire produce wines with very small producers.

Sylvain puts together a new menu for Le 21 every two to three months. ‘In the meantime, we sometimes make small changes to our dishes; depending on what is available or just what we feel like.’ Maxime changes his
menu once every two to four weeks. He too depends on the ripeness and availability of produce. ‘Because of
bad weather and climate change, it is sometimes quite complicated these days. We have to use new cooking and fermentation techniques to make certain products last as long as possible.’