Profiles

The Relais & Châteaux Chefs Turn Toward Sustainable Seafood

Guy Ravet, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux at l’Ermitage, in Switzerland

Guy Ravet graduated from the Lausanne hotel management school in 2005 and followed in the footsteps of his father, Bernard Ravet. Father and son both hold the title of Grand Chef in Relais & Châteaux and work together at l’Ermitage in Vufflens-le-Château, Switzerland. The restaurant, which opened in 1989 and has had a Michelin star since 2006, serves youthful, seasonal and modern cuisine.

1) Guy, how did you get started as a chef?
I did my apprenticeship at l’Ermitage with my father and passed the CFC qualification exam. I then went to the hotel management school in Lausanne and graduated in 2005. Then I worked in several of the world’s greatest restaurants such as Alain Ducasse’s Plaza Athénée in Paris and Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York. I came back to l’Ermitage three years ago to be the senior sous chef.

2) What types seafood do you offer your clients? What concerns shape your menu?
At the moment we have brill, red mullet, Breton lobster and wild salmon on the menu.
We source our seafood in three areas: Brittany, Norway and Scotland. We only offer wild produce. We follow the seasons. From September to March there are langoustines, scallops and royal crab from Norway. Later in the year, our products come from Brittany. We change our menu every two or three months. We decided to use brill instead of turbot. It is a good idea to introduce people to this variety as turbot is already fished quite intensively. We also offer line-caught sea bass from time to time and wild Scottish salmon two months of the year.
We also use char fish, a freshwater product, but it is not available all year round.
I really enjoy working with Scottish wild salmon, hand fished scallops and live langoustines from Norway.

3) Do your suppliers work with you to get sustainable seafood?
We work with a company that supplies us with products from Brittany and Norway and with another for freshwater fish. We are in constant contact with both of them. They will always ask their contacts for answers when we have questions. Sometimes they keep us up-to-date on changes, which was the case recently concerning the consumption of eels. We have established a good relationship and keep each other informed. For Brittany, our supplier works in Loctudy. We only take products with the BQM (Bretagne Qualité Mer; an indicator of quality) label. It’s a good indicator of seasons: if a fish is not available with the BQM label, it means it’s not the right time to eat it. It might be available, but it will not be the high quality we demand.

4) Have you seen any changes in the last few years (in terms of demand, eating trends…)?
Customers take more and more interest in the origins of the products. There are more and more media reports on the subject and as a result, consumers ask more questions.
We see this as a good thing because we can guarantee the origin of our products and they are specified on the menu. Our customers also know that our products are wild as it is also specified on the menu.
We stopped serving bluefin tuna several years ago when it was declared an endangered species.

5) Can chefs play a part in preserving seafood resources?
Yes! You have to start somewhere. Restaurant owners have to be aware of the situation. It’s even more important in that clients ask questions and encourage us to stay informed. We have to be an example for the others to follow. Our customers are consumers. If we inform them correctly, they will pay attention when they are in the supermarket and that in turn might also provoke a reaction from manufacturers. It will take time. But it’s important.

6) Are their species that you don’t work with anymore?
When we got the message that it was an endangered species, we stopped working bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), although we never used it much anyway as it was not very popular in Switzerland. We were also alerted about the eel situation and decided not to offer eel anymore. We have replaced it with ferra (a species from Lake Geneva), which is delicious smoked.

7) You have signed the 6 Relais & Châteaux commitments drawn up in November 2009. What difference has it made to you? How did your customers react?
The signature did not entail any major upheavals within the restaurant. We have been very aware of those issues for several years. The commitments fit in well with the way we work and our ethics. But it is good to see that Olivier Roellinger is addressing the issue. It sets an example and it’s encouraging!
As far as clients are concerned, the question that we hear most is on the subject of brill. Few people know the species and we often explain why we choose to use it.

Bernard and Guy Ravet preparing char fish (Salvelinus alpinus alpinus)

L’Ermitage - Route du Village 26 CH – 1134 Vufflens-le-Château
Tel. +41.(0)21.804.68.68 Fax +41(0)21 802 22 40
Internet: http://www.ravet.ch

About Relais & Châteaux:
Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive collection of nearly 500 of the finest, charming hotels and gourmet restaurants in 60 countries.
Established in France in 1954, the Association’s mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character.
Furthermore, Relais & Châteaux is also a family of hoteliers and Grands Chefs from all over the world who share a passion for and a personal commitment to ensuring their guests are privy to moments of exceptional harmony, an unforgettable celebration of the senses.
From the vineyards in Napa valley to the beaches in Bali, from the olive trees in Provence to the lodges in South Africa, Relais & Châteaux offers all the stops on the finest route for discovering each special place and country. The Relais & Châteaux signature reflects this ambition: “ALL AROUND THE WORLD, UNIQUE IN THE WORLD”.

Posted in February 2011

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