Barely a week after the opening of his new Maison Fleur de Loire, Chef Christophe Hay shares once again with Vendôm the secrets of his work philosophy and experience, as well as of his attachment to agricultural and animal husbandry professionals surrounding him and this new atypical place.
The venue, boasting 44 rooms and two restaurants, among which the Christophe Hay and its well-guarded secrets up to its opening, though located in the heart of Blois, appears to be totally cut off from the city. Immersed in the Loire, Chef Hay has, more than ever, given life to the project of providing his guests with an absolute Loire valley experience, enhanced with a fabulous advantage: an exceptional view on the Château de Blois. Well-being, conviviality, discovery of local products and awareness of the importance of trade professions are core elements of his vision. Foolishness, some will say. Not for Chef Hay, who believes in passing on the values of humility and sharing.
Vendôm Talents – Fleur de Loire was one of the most anticipated openings of the Summer. What can you tell us about its genesis?
Christophe Hay – The main idea was above all to build a friendly place – a real home. The Fleur de Loire edifice is a former 17th-century hospice, which was already permeated with a notion of hospitality, reception and warmth. The place encompasses a main building with two wings on either side, that give a sense of disconnection from the world. We made the choice of revegetating the venue with grafts from the Loire, which brought forth an exceptional view over the Château de Blois.
Chefs usually leave the city to settle in the countryside; I chose to do the opposite, because this very city saw me grow professionally. I studied here, before getting my bearings with Chef Eric Reithler. Even if I travelled to other continents in the years that followed, I am still very proud to have gotten back to this city that has allowed me to learn and nurture my passion for almost 10 years.
One of my wishes was also to express, through Fleur de Loire, the art of living in the Loire Valley. Two swimming pools are at our guests’ disposal: one is built in an old building cellar, under the vault; the other is an outdoor infinity pool offering a stunning view on the castle. The latter seems to contrast with other great destinations that give you a view on the sea or a lake... The originality here lies in the sight of a river!
We also feature an in-house Sisley Spa, well-established in the region but only in very large establishments – a facility that makes us extremely proud.
VT – This new venue seems centered above all on the quality of life, well-being and local know-how. Does this project give you a new way to develop your love of sharing excellence, but also of a healthy life based on nature viewing?
CH – Indeed, and our guests take advantage of a conscious access to our approach to agriculture and breeding. In particular, the city of Blois, that showed interest in our project, granted us one and a half hectare of agricultural land in the heart of the city. We have used that land as an asparagus conservatory area, with a listing of fifty different species of asparagus, referenced by the region. One should be aware that asparagus farmers all disappeared in Val de Blois.
VT – Does a new place lead to a new vision of a locally-inspired chef cuisine? I am referring to the creation of the citrus greenhouse.
CH – The Fleur de Loire experience induced us to create a small passageway running along the building. With the aim of awakening the senses, mainly olfactory, we farmed tiny plots of land, turning them into gardens filled with the essences of Solognots gardens. The genesis of this greenhouse was motivated by my passion for citrus fruits, an enthusiasm that started in 2014, when I was gifted a four-season lemon tree for my new opening. This was the starting point of my interest and I currently own fourteen different varieties of citrus fruits, including the latest cedrats from Collioure, Corsican lemons, etc.
My greenhouse was built in the spirit of the 1930s, by a Savigny architect. I wanted to share this passion for citrus fruits with my guests.
VT – Could you tell us more about the two restaurants in Fleur de Loire?
CH – Gastronomy stands at the heart of Fleur de Loire through its two catering centres, the first being my signature restaurant, "Christophe Hay", and its 35 place settings; the second, "Amour Blanc", is located at the foot of the Loire and has a stunning view on Blois. It seemed important to me that these two concepts could merge, so that we could offer, together with an accommodation of 44 rooms, different fine dining proposals.
Christophe Hay’s menu mainly features freshwater fish with garden-grown vegetables from our local producers. "Amour Blanc" associates the Loire and the sea with its estuary, and offers significantly distinct meal suggestions.
VT – On your website, you chose to call attention to the people who accompanied you on this project: gardener, artist and craftsman. Can you explain in a few words what motivated this need?
CH – The people from these essentially local companies have invested as much as I have on this venue, the conception of which has been greatly reduced in time due to the health crisis. Despite this setback, the waiting for the opening was reduced to only 15 days! It assumed it was normal to have a thought for them by making people discover their art. It was my way of thanking them.
I could have mentioned other producers as well, such as Adèle Champdavoine, engaged, just as we are, in the preservation of the emblematic poultry of the region: the geline de Touraine; Christophe Piou, producer of the endangered Solognot lamb; or Jean-Pierre Chaussard, committed in taking good care of our hives. Also of a very valuable importance, the breeders who have been in charge of our Wagyu cattle since the very beginning, Nicolas and Charlie Praizelin. Thanks to the production of the farm, our Wagyu cattle are now totally organic. Mastering animal welfare is very close to my heart. Sylvain Arnoult also taught me a lot about freshwater fish. Today, very few fishermen are still active on the Loire and to me, he is a genuine example of strength.
VT – The desire to pass on their knowledge to younger collaborators is a deep-rooted desire in chefs. How do you carry out this transmission?
CH – My strength lies in sincerity. I don’t consider myself as surrounded by employees, but by friends. I would hand over the reins to the youth with full confidence. Except for a few positions, for which Vendôm’s services were required, our people grew from 34 to 110 with the opening of Fleur de Loire – mainly through the sharing of my philosophy and of my project’s contents on the networks. I was very touched by the trust people placed in me on well-being at work. Despite this, I am not ready to allow, for example, 4 days off per week. We are innkeepers – this is what we do. I insist on this, because far too many restaurants have a shortage of employees. The essence of our job is hospitality: we are supposed to take care of our guests, and we now have to face an increased number of closing restaurants.
I chose to be surrounded by as many people as possible and to reconsider teams, in order to be able to gradually lighten their schedules though alternating weekly shifts – morning, evening and off, rhythm that also allows to break the routine, which I believe is the main cause of demotivation.
Unlike other collaborators, I had no difficulties in recruiting, as my announcement generated a hundred extremely interesting profiles for positions in reception, accommodation, spa, etc. Today, the only position that is a hard nut to crack is sommelier, as many young graduates leave for the cellars, a trend that is very damaging in my view. In a dining room, a sommelier is a true creator of experience, a storyteller. We seem to have denigrated service professions too much in France and we are now paying the consequences of that. We need to recreate this link with our hosts.
VT – Lastly, what can you tell us about your expectations in terms of collaboration and talent?
CH – My agricultural background makes me proud of being surrounded with 50% of staff coming from farming families and showing interest in our approach. I do not attach much importance to experience. Some young people in my staff are new graduates from Ferrandi or Paul Bocuse schools and I welcomed them according to my impressions – if I feel they want to grow in this environment, I will not hesitate to put them in very good positions. A case in point is my first chef, Charles Bernabé, who followed me from Paris, and who just opened his restaurant in Nantes, Les Cadets. When he arrived here with me, he had just graduated from EDHEC Business School, but his motivation, his enthusiasm and his passion for the profession struck me, so I hired him even though he had never set foot in a kitchen.
24 Quai Villebois Mareuil, 41 000 Blois - FRANCE
+33 2 30 32 14 37
(Photo credit: Fleur de Loire)
