2024-03-14 18:07:59
The show Top boss resumed on M6 on March 13, with two candidates from Marseille: Valentin Raffali, chef and co-owner of Livingston, and Pavel Hug, working at event caterer Treize Boucan.
In 15 seasons, many chefs from Provence have taken part in this televised competition. We can cite Ludovic Turac, Coline Faulquier, Adel Dakkar, Vanessa Robuschi from Marseille, Florent Pietravalle from Avignon, Fabien Morreale from Martigues, Ronan Kernen from Aix, etc. They kept fond memories of their participation in Top boss.
To this list of locals and new locals who highlight the region, we must add the members of the jury: Glenn Viel from Baux-de-Provence and Hélène Darroze who has – among other things – a restaurant in Puy-Sainte-Réparade.
Ludovic Turac, Une table au Sud in Marseille: “a reputation accelerator”
Ludovic Turac was only 21 years old when he participated in the second season of Top boss in 2011. He was then Lionel Levy’s sous chef at Une table au Sud in the Old Port.
“Top boss represents a lot from a professional and personal point of view“, he begins cheerfully. “When I did Top boss at the time, it was more of a cooking competition than a show. It allowed me to measure myself once morest other cooks. At 21, you think you have experience, but such a competition confronts you with reality. You question yourself. And it’s been great for me. It helped me a lot both professionally and personally..”
At that moment, hedidn’t realize that I was going to be famous. I didn’t pay attention to my image, to what I said, I was a natural painter. I lived the adventure without thinking regarding what came next. When I was eliminated in the quarter-finals, the show broke audience records with more than 3.5 million viewers. There were a lot of emotions. It’s 2024 and, yet, I still have customers who come because they know me from Top boss. It is a notoriety accelerator.”
A year following filming, Ludovic took over Une table au Sud. And in 2015, he won a Michelin star.
Most of the time, he is in the kitchen when the show airs in prime time.”but I always check if there is a guy from Marseille.” This season, 50 former emblematic candidates were called back to be a jury on an event. Ludovic Turac was one of them. Without revealing anything, he said to himself “proud that the city is highlighted by Valentin Raffali“.
Adel Dakkar, Les Bains, NH hotel, in Marseille: “a 100% Top chef baby”
Adel Dakkar, chef of Les Bains, at the NH hotel on the Corniche in Marseille. Photo DR
Chef Adel Dakkar is from Marseillais by adoption. When he participated in the 6th season of Top chef in 2015, he was still in Auvergne. The competition took him to Marseille and turned his life upside down.
“Top boss had a great impact on my career as well as my personal life“, he confides. “In the competition, you compete with yourself at the same time, you see where you are, if you are at the level, if you have what it takes to be a chef. I was 27 years old and a sous chef at the time. Then you face the others. If you lose, it means you were less good, and you work on it. It is very enriching.”
Then it is carried by the public’s enthusiasm. “I was a bit of a darling and the whole of Auvergne was behind me. When you receive messages to tell you ‘We are proud of you’, it’s very touching and very funny.”
After Top boss“It’s all positive. I have gained self-confidence, I am less afraid and now I go head on. Top boss it’s like Koh-Lanta, we will always tell you that you did it”he says. “You gain visibility and also credibility with professionals. I came 5th, although initially there were 3,500 of us applying. I told myself that I was in my place.”
Then Top boss marked his life for another reason. “I met Vanessa Robuschi on the show and we had a baby 100% Top chef.” Fan of OM and Marseille, he settled there. He first worked alongside his partner in his restaurant Une histoire degust in the 8th and, in 2020, he took the reins of Les Bains in NH hotel on the Corniche.
“It’s a chance to participate in such a show. Even years later you remain a top chef, you are part of the family“At the beginning of the week, he was invited to Paris to attend the preview of the show with 90 other former candidates.”With some of us, we had never met and yet we kissed each other and talked as if we were friends because we know each other through Top boss !“
This year once more, Adel will watch the program on M6 and “be fully behind Valentin. I didn’t know Pavel, I’m going to find out“.
Fabien Morreale, Garage, Gusto and Maison Gaillard in Martigues: “Internationally, Top chef France is almost like a star”
Fabien Morreale, head of Garage, Gusto and Maison Gaillard in Martigues. Photo DR
In 2013, when Fabien Morreale participated in the 4th season of Top bosshe already has two restaurants in Martigues: Le Garage since 2007 and Le Gusto since 2009. He will go as far as the quarter-finals.
“This show is a real springboard. You gain 30% more turnover straight away. Afterwards, it’s up to you to ensure that it continues, that customers are satisfied and come back. And you don’t have the right to miss it. Otherwise, it’s just a wave that carries you and falls once more.”
After Top bosshe opened a bakery in the center of Martigues which he sold four years later and, in 2022, he launched Maison Gaillard, where he offers street food. Fabien also works for an Australian company which does cruises on the Rhône. “Top chef it’s global, there are some in every country. Foreign companies appreciate Top Chef France, it’s more than a label, it’s almost like a star.”
Although he has good memories of his participation, he regrets that “today’s show highlights the jury more than the candidates“.
1710441192
#Top #chef #notoriety #accelerator
