The chefs
Louis Rameau
Chef Le Jardin de Berne
"At Château de Berne, nature reigns supreme, and it's also one of the most important values in my cooking. Every day, when we pick our vegetables, we come up with a dish in which we bring out the best in the produce we've harvested. They're at their best, so all you have to do is add a few simple touches and you've got a dish that's as close to nature as you can get.
For this nature lover, the Château de Berne is a boundless, rich and inspiring playground. Louis Rameau joined the kitchen at Berne in April 2016 before taking over at the beginning of 2020, where he expresses all his talent and creativity through simple, authentic cuisine that magnifies local produce and the Provençal art of living.
At Château de Berne, it thrives on contact with nature and aims to bring out the best in what it has to offer. There are the gardens, the kitchen garden, the vegetables and fruit, all this diversity, this local vegetation that can be found on the menu of Le Jardin de Berne* as the seasons change. It's a proximity that delights the Chef and allows him to give free rein to his imagination: a saffron pistil from the Haut-Var joins the plate one day, while a vinegar from Piedmont enhances all the flavours of a dish the next. "I try to do as well as nature does, if possible better, but that's usually where it gets tricky. he admits with a broad smile. For Louis, who has a collective conception of success, the notion of respect is paramount in his cooking. He takes great care to ensure this.
Eric Raynal
Pastry chef
"When I was little, I wanted to be a train driver, but in the end, I'm not that far off. I try to make people travel with culinary pleasure as the destination."
The man who admits to having always secretly dreamed of working at Château de Berne has carved out a special place for himself there in just a few years, and has become one of its most inspired contributors. In fact, it took him just one season, in 2016, before he was promoted to Pastry Chef, proving that "with hard work, anything is possible".
From the very convivial "Bistrot" to the refined "Jardin de Berne*", he reigns over sweet dishes and strives to respect the spirit of the place, nature and the garden. A lover of the land, Éric favours products from the estate, where he has not hesitated to plant unusual citrus fruits: combava, lemon caviar, citron, he pushes back the limits of his creativity and gourmet taste, and with them those of local producers. "Light on sugar, strong on flavour, my desserts follow the rhythm of the seasons and that of our vegetable garden". explains this uncompromising chef who heads a team of pastry chefs, not cooks, "it makes a real difference to the final result". he enthuses.
2020 marks the crowning achievement for Éric, who was named winner in the selection "Passion Dessert in the Michelin Guide.
Aurélie Liautaud
Chef Le Bistrot
"You have to be passionate to to be able to convey emotions on our plates".
Since January 2022, Aurélie Liautaud has been Head Chef at the Bistrot restaurant, where she offers generous, carefully prepared local cuisine inspired by the estate's vegetable gardens. She joined Le Bistrot five years ago as chef de partie, and quickly worked her way up to take charge of the kitchen.
A native of Provence, she is dedicated to promoting the treasures of this region, which she finds so rich. "I am a pure a product of the Var region", she proudly admits.
The chef makes it a point of honour to use only fresh produce. To do this, she has the choice of the Château's gardens and vegetable patches. She is keen to pass on the same emotions that made her want to do this job, and never hesitates to surprise her guests' taste buds by combining local produce with more original touches.
