Bernard Loiseau | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bernard Daniel Jacques Loiseau 13 January 1951 Chamalières, France |
| Died | 24 February 2003 (aged 52) Saulieu, France |
| Cause of death | Suicide by gunshot |
| Education | La Maison Troisgros |
| Culinary career | |
Rating(s) | |
Current restaurant(s) | |
Bernard Daniel Jacques Loiseau (French pronunciation: [bɛʁnaʁ danjɛl ʒak lwazo]; 13 January 1951 – 24 February 2003) was a French chef at Le Relais Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu, Côte-d'Or. He obtained three stars in the Michelin Guide and had a peak rating of 19.5/20 in the Gault Millau restaurant guide.[1] He was one of the most mediatised French chefs between the 1980s and 1990s.[2][3]
In 2003, a short time after having become a member of the Relais & Châteaux association, Loiseau was downgraded from 19/20 to 17/20 in the Gault et Millau guide and received a strong negative media review from the gastronomic critic François Simon in the newspaper Le Figaro, but he still had his three stars in the Michelin Guide.[4] As criticism continued to pour in and while the media speculated about a possible future loss of a Michelin star, he died by suicide by self-inflicted gunshot without giving any explanation. The theories aiming at explaining his death are the object of strong polemics.[5][6] His decision was likely due to increased bouts of clinical depression.[7]
- ^ Saulieu-Morvan Tourist Office
- ^ Magazine, Dandy (12 April 2013). "Bernard Loiseau". Dandy Magazine (in French). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Larousse, Éditions. "Archive Larousse : Journal de l'année Édition 2004 - dossier - Bernard Loiseau, Le plus doué de sa génération". www.larousse.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Michelin guide 'covered up criticism of top French suicide chef'". Le Point. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ "La vérité sur le suicide du chef Bernard Loiseau". L'Express. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Dix ans après la mort de Bernard Loiseau, querelle de chroniqueurs gastronomiques". Le Monde. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Michelin guide 'covered up criticism of top French suicide chef'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 November 2020.