Meet Emmanuel Renaut

A Michelin-starred chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France

It was between the vineyards of Reims and the mountains of Savoy that Emmanuel Renaut took his first steps.

Working alongside his grandparents, local farmers and fishmongers, he discovered the riches of the land and the treasures of the sea.

Nature became an infinite playground, and he didn’t wait to leave childhood behind before planting his first kitchen garden.

As a gifted sportsman, he enjoys skiing in Haute-Savoie in winter and trial riding in summer, competing for top places in the French championships.

An accomplished Alpine hunter and natural leader, he sees the mountains as a source of absolute freedom, inspiration and experimentation, and gastronomy as an exciting adventure to be shared.

Having trained as a chef, he honed his craft at the Société des Cuisiniers, then at the Hôtel Le Loti, before donning a toque in 1988 at Chef Constant’s Hôtel du Crillon, alongside up-and-coming culinary stars, Chefs Camdeborde, Frechon, Breton and Rouquette. A truly exceptional team.

The experience was a real eye-opener and the springboard that gave him the confidence to return to his native Haute-Savoie and work alongside Chef Marc Veyrat at the Auberge de L’Eridan.

It would take the young sous-chef seven years of dogged determination and hard work to help the Maison Bleue earn its 3rd Michelin star. The ultimate accolade.

It was while working as a chef in London’s world-renowned Claridge’s that Emmanuel Renaut happened upon his fate. Her name was Kristine, a young German woman with whom he envisioned a home and an intimate fine dining establishment in the mountains, a dream that was to become ever more insistent in his mind.

Flocons de Sel, in the centre of Megève, opened its doors in 1998, and Chef Renaut quickly made it the destination of choice for an intimate and exciting dining experience.

Here he produces a cuisine of passion, a cuisine that strikes at the very chords of your taste buds, so much so that he was awarded his first star in 2001, followed by a second in 2006.

Much more than a creator of recipes, Emmanuel views his profession as a platform, and a deep respect for nature, mankind, animals and the earth as the message he wishes to convey.

In 2004, he was named Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of France), a title that serves as a standard-bearer for French gastronomy around the world.

With the centre of Megève having become too small to house his burgeoning ambitions, Emmanuel Renaut reopened Flocons de Sel on the heights of the Route du Leutaz, offering an authentic and warm setting conducive to pleasure and hospitality.

With its vast kitchen, selection of unique boutique rooms integrated into the living spaces, a spa to promote wellbeing and a garden to provide inspiration, the new Flocons de Sel boasts all the hallmarks of serenity, while Flocons Village in the centre of Megève now offers a more accessible dining experience.

In 2012, the team rose to the peaks of their art when they were awarded their 3rd Michelin star. But Chef Renaut is not a man to rest on his laurels. He relishes challenge and the opportunity to pass on all he has learnt, so simply contemplating his legacy was not an option.

Keen to mentor his peers, the Meilleur Ouvrier de France also acts as a consultant to the Lauda Restaurant in Santorini,
as well as adding his singular signature to the restaurant of the Hôtel des Horlogers in Le Brassus, Switzerland.

1988

Joined the Crillon kitchen brigade alongside Chef Constant

1990

Seasonal employee, then sous-chef at Chef Marc Veyrat’s Auberge de L’Eridan

1997

Chef at Claridge’s in London

1998

Opening of Flocons de Sel in the centre of Megève

2000

Opening of La Cave à Manger in Megève

2000

Opening of L’Appartement du Village in Megève