Clémentine Vergnolle, restaurateur at L'Auberge de la Grande Ferme in Saint-André-d'Embrun
Tell us, who are you and where are you from?
I'm Clémentine Vergnolle, restaurateur at theAuberge de la Grande Ferme. I grew up in the Embrun region, in Saint-André-d'Embrun to be precise, in my parents' inn. Not really destined to take over the business, I left the region after high school for a few years to discover city life and pretend to study. Then the idea gradually occurred to me to take up vocational training. I've been back in the fold for 9 years now, taking over the family business, and for the last 5 years my partner Simon has joined me in the adventure, because it's more fun with 2!
Why did you choose Serre-Ponçon as the location for your restaurant business?
Back to basics and the desire to perpetuate the fine work already accomplished, of course. But the region's quality of life is not to be underestimated either: climate, nature, sport, social, associative and cultural life, a growing choice of quality local producers... there's not much missing to describe this place as a paradise.
How is your menu created?
I rely almost exclusively on what the season, local producers, sometimes the vegetable garden and, above all, my wallet can offer me. Then I draw on my pleasant culinary memories: I think of my grandparents' dishes, the multitude of taste experiences suggested by my father (who is a real master in the kitchen), the trips I've made (Germany, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Brittany...), the dishes I've tasted in other restaurants, I look for ideas in magazines, recipes on the Internet and then I make a mix of all that!
How would you describe your kitchen?
My cooking is simple, generous and, I hope, reassuring. It's 100% home-cooked and based on fresh produce, and I use a lot of vegetables and fresh, wild-picked herbs. I try to evolve and adapt to new ecological and sanitary requirements (less meat, less cream, quality oils, gentle cooking...). My motto as a restaurateur: "what's good to eat, must also be good to think about!"
