"You can't humiliate people in the kitchen, you have to help them find their place. Cooking is not a war. It is a means of expression, a language of sharing." The opinion of the great French chef.
The Chef
During the Sirha Food Forum, Pierre Gagnaire, a symbol of French gastronomy, offered a candid insight into his journey and his relationship with the craft. At 75, the man who made cooking an art continues to experiment with the same intensity, rejecting all forms of nostalgic self-indulgence and all shortcuts. His message is clear: to remain in time, it is necessary to reinvent oneself without ceasing to search for meaning in every dish.
Pierre Gagnaire has never called himself a “chemist of taste,” but a cook who has made intuition his compass. "I didn't learn this craft the right way, and maybe that's what saved me! ” are his words, reposted by Food&Sens. The chef then recalls how, in his early years, he had to break away from rigid training to find his own culinary language. That freedom, far from being a rejection of the basics, became the engine that allowed him to question every convention. He remembers the days when cooking was static, with dishes lacking in inventiveness; the revolution of Bocuse, Guérard, and Chapel broke new ground, and he seized the opportunity to shape a cuisine pulsing with emotion.
In an industry where everything moves at a dizzying speed, the ability to last is the only true measure of success. Gagnaire, who has weathered tough times to the point of facing bankruptcy, knows that a chef's value is measured over time. “I'm not interested in pulling one time to impress. What matters is still being here, with a solid team and a kitchen that means something,” he stresses. The chef notes that new talent emerges quickly, fueled by social media and constant media exposure, but he warns: true masters will always know how to get noticed because time, and only time, confirms their value.
Being still active in the kitchen for Pierre Gagnaire does not mean defending an unchanging legacy, but keeping it alive and evolving. At the helm of numerous restaurants in France and abroad, he sees his staff not just as a collection of collaborators, but as an extension of his own art. "There is no Gagnaire Bible, I give the chefs directives that they then interpret in their own way. That's where the show takes on its true meaning,” he proudly explains. He has seen some of his alumni triumph, getting their own stars and imprinting their signature, a tangible sign that passing the baton is the driving force behind the industry's growth.
For him, the kitchen is a human chain, with each generation leaning on the previous one. This is why he insists on the importance of humane management, far from authoritarian methods: “You cannot humiliate those who work in the kitchen, you have to help them find their place.” With this in mind, his role goes beyond simply preparing dishes: it is a way of creating bonds, accompanying careers, and giving meaning to teamwork that ultimately becomes a true expression of self. "Cooking is not a war. It is a means of expression, a language of sharing."
After more than 60 years behind him, Pierre Gagnaire continues to walk without giving in to the fatigue of the past, driven by his love for his art. He has never tried to freeze a style, preferring to live each moment and let his work evolve naturally. In a world where everything changes too quickly, he reminds us that the only true test is time. When asked why he continues, he simply replies, "Because I like it. And that's it!"
