GEORGES BLANC

Georges BLANC was born January 2nd 1943, the fourth generation of the Blanc family who has managed a restaurant in Vonnas since 1872.

In 1962 he was at the top of his class at ECOLE HOTELIERE IN THONON LES BAINS. In 1965 after having worked in several famous restaurants he began working with his mother. At the age of twenty five he took over as the head of the restaurant.

He then turned the modest family restaurant into one of the flagships of the chain RELAIS & CHATEAUX. His investment has born fruit.

He was a finalist in the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best French Craftsman) contest in Paris in 1976. In 1981 the GUIDE MICHELIN awarded him with his third star and GAULT ET MILLAU bestowed him with the honor of being “Cook of the Year.”
In 1985 he was among the five chefs who received for the first time the score 19.5 in the GAULT ET MILLAU Guide.

Georges BLANC offers a cuisine that manages to blend tradition and innovation, crafted of the only finest quality ingredients.

An amateur of literature, Georges BLANC he is very attached to transmitting his great knowledge of French cuisine and has written several books.

– « Mes recettes » en 1981 et 1982
– « La Cuisine de Bourgogne » en 1982 (Editions Jean-Claude LATTES avec
5 autres grands chefs de Bourgogne)
– « Ma Cuisine des Saisons » en 1984 (Editions Robert LAFFONT).
– « La Nature dans l’Assiette » en 1987 (Editions Robert LAFFONT), véritable Best Seller de la presse gastronomique. Cet ouvrage, 1er Grand Prix de la Gastronomie qui a été édité en 5 langues, est un magnifique hymne à la nature et aux produits de qualité.
– « Le Livre Blanc des 4 Saisons » en 1988 (Editions Robert LAFFONT).
– « Les BLANC », écrit avec la complicité de son fils Alexandre en 1989 (Télédition Genève).
– Georges BLANC co-écrit « Le Grand Livre de la Volaille » en 1991 (Edition Robert LAFFONT), toujours dans le même esprit d’esthète attaché aux bonnes choses de nos terroirs.
– « Au Hasard de la fourchette » en 1993 (Editions Sang de la Terre).
– « De la Vigne à l’Assiette » en octobre 1995 (Editions HACHETTE), suite de
« La Nature dans l’Assiette ».
– « Georges BLANC cuisine en Famille » en octobre 1999 (Editions ALBIN MICHEL).
– « La Cuisine de nos Mères » en octobre 2000 (Editions HACHETTE) en collaboration avec Coco JOBART, cuisinière et styliste culinaire de renom. Edition en Anglais également disponible.
– « Plat du jour » en avril 2003 (Editions SOLAR).
– « Fête des Saveurs » en 2004 (Éditions HACHETTE ).
 
 
Georges BLANC quickly understood how important it was to develop and market his image.

As he is a clever and intuitive manager, he takes great pride in being present in Vonnas permanently and in personally overseeing the 200 employees who work with him.
Being a good businessman enables him to develop his business activities and to manage his company.

In a few years, he has enlarged the hotel by creating “LA COUR AUX FLEURS” and “LA RESIDENCE DES SAULES” on the Place du Marché. He has also renovated “L’ANCIENNE AUBERGE,” transforming it back into the place his great grand-parents had known at the turn of the century.

The “ANCIENNE AUBERGE” has come to represent the Blanc family tradition of fine cuisine in the region.

In the same spirit, the restaurant “St LAURENT” on the river Saône in Macon offers a pleasant atmosphere and patio, featuring a taste of the true regional cuisine of the Val de Saône area.

In 1999, in Bourg en Bresse, he opened the restaurant “CHEZ BLANC” where guests can enjoy a variety of seasonal meals. In 2001, in Lyon, he opened the restaurant “LE SPLENDID” near the Brotteaux train station. There he showcases seasonal cuisine as well as traditional recipes, dedicated to the famous ‘Mothers’ who were the best cooks and representatives of French cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century.

Lastly, the “Château d’Epeyssoles” located three minutes from Vonnas, has just been renovated with a magnificent 12- acre park and pond that welcome guests for a variety of occasions.

Georges BLANC, owner of one of the finest wine cellars in the world (130 000 bottles from some 3000 appellations) has made dream into reality by creating his own 14 acre vineyard of Chardonnay AOC on the sun kissed slopes of the Maconnais in Azé: DOMAINE D’AZENAY was born.

Thanks to modern tanks and the latest technologies in wine production, DOMAINE D’AZENAY wines have been recognized in various “contest” (5 gold medals since the first vintage) and are very successful in France and abroad.
 
Now DOMAINE D’AZENAY is well known for being a premium wine in South Burgundy.

Georges BLANC, by representing his village, has become the ambassador of his region. In 1989 he was selected as the best representative of his region by an opinion poll on French Channel One (TF1).

Since 1986 he has been the president of the COMITE INTERPROFESSIONNEL DE LA VOLAILLE DE BRESSE, a committee that defends and protects Bresse poultry which is AOC.

He has also created CHAMBRE SYNDICALE DE LA HAUTE CUISINE which is a union that represents the best French Chefs.

 
DISTINCTIONS
 
Holder of Legion of Honour
Holder of the National Order of Merit
Commander of the Agricultural Merit
Holder of Arts and Litterature
Decorated for Services to Education
 
It all began before the French Revolution in Bresse where the Blanc family had been farmers for several generations in the towns of Marboz and Cuet near Montrevel and then in St Didier d’Aussiat.

Jean-Louis BLANC and his wife were the first to open a restaurant in 1872. Their main clients were the egg sellers who rode or drove to the Thursday-market, warmed up with some hot soup and then after the market sat down to a good meal.

The reputation of that wonderful soup spread through the towns and villages. In 1902, Adolphe BLANC, the Blanc son who married Elisa GERVAIS, took over for his parents. ELISA was the cook that made ‘LA MERE BLANC’ successful. She inherited the secrets of making good meals with butter from her mother Virginie. CURNONSKY, a famous cook and author of cook books, wrote that she was ‘the best cook in the world ‘.

Her traditional simple and honest cuisine cooked with love and a sense of perfection used only true regional products.

As the means of communication improved, even more people came to Vonnas to eat frog legs, Bresse chicken and “crêpes Vonnassiennes” (savory pancakes made with potatoes). On Sundays entire families took the train or drove from Macon to Vonnas and business flourished. In 1930, Elisa was the first prizewinner at a cooking contest and she was praised by the CLUB DES CENTS, a gastronomic committee, and by many journalists.

In 1934, Jean BLANC, the eldest son and his wife Paulette took her place and kept the traditional meals which made the restaurant successful.
 
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CHATEAU D’EPEYSSOLES was at the heart of the domain of the lord of EPEYSSOLES from 1289 on, and was among the few other aristocratic estates in and around Vonnas

The castle was owned by several different noble families. At the end of the 15th century the GUYOT DE LA GARDE family gave its name to the castle. Its last descendant, Marguerite sold the castle to a young Protestant burgess, Antoinette POINSARD. From that time forward, CHATEAU D’EPEYSSOLES was owned by rich, Protestant but foreign born families.

When she married Jean DUPUY, ownership of the CHATEAU D’EPEYSSOLES was turned over to her husband, the COMTE DE FERRASSIERE DE MONTBUN, a Protestant.

In 1656 ESPERANCE DUPUY DE MONTBRUN married Frédéric COMTE DE DOHNA. They took up residence at EPEYSSOLES with their children.

The COMTE DE DOHNA, who dreamed of a republic of European nations, coveted Louis XIVs hegemony.

He traveled extensively and he began to write his memoirs at EPEYSSOLES before his death in 1688.

Thereafter, EPEYSSOLES was owned by several different families from the 18th to 20th centuries before becoming Georges BLANC’s own. The COMTE DE DOHNA’s memoirs were published in French in 1898.
 
Owner the restaurant: www.georgesblanc.com