Charles-Antoine Jouxtel named Grand de Demain 2025 at the Gault&Millau Tour Normandie

Émilie Lesur | 9/30/24, 4:44 PM

Chef Charles-Antoine Jouxtel of restaurant Symbiose was awarded the title of Grand de Demain 2025 at the Gault&Millau Tour Normandie.

"Recognition, pride, lots of emotions! "Charles-Antoine Jouxtel, chef at the Symbiose restaurant (2 toques) in Cabourg, was named Grand de Demain 2025, during the Gault&Millau Tour Normandie. The event was held this Monday, September 30, 2024 at the Dôme in Deauville.

A desire to blaze his own trail

Charles-Antoine Jouxtel, the son of blue-collar workers converted to the restaurant business, grew up in a culinary environment, but always had the ambition to blaze his own trail. His father ran a fast-food establishment in Saint-Lô, but Charles-Antoine had no desire to take over the family business. After an uninspiring school career, he found his way at the Lycée Hôtelier, graduating with a Baccalauréat Technologique and then a BTS.

His adventure first took him to England, where he worked in a brewery near Birmingham. At just 21, he joined Arnaud Donckele's team at La Vague d'Or in Saint-Tropez. Although he sometimes gets carried away by the city's nightlife, he remains professional and motivated, rising rapidly through the ranks.

After four years with Donckele, he moved to Megève and joined Emmanuel Renaut's team, where he discovered refined culinary techniques. Back in the Var region, he spent four years with Christophe Bacquié, but the frustration of not obtaining the coveted position prompted him to consider new horizons.

In 2024, he and his partner Charlotte Schwab moved to Normandy, where they opened the Symbiose restaurant in Cabourg, in a former art gallery. The project, which combines a gourmet table with a high-end tapas restaurant, quickly becomes a success. "Symbiose is the union of a sommelier and a chef. The idea was to really create something that reflects both of us. A universe where we can express ourselves as much on wine as on food."

Toques and a title

Since opening less than a year ago, the establishment has already been awarded two toques in the Guide Jaune. The Gault&Millau Tour Normandie 2025 and the title of Grand de Demain was an opportunity to once again salute the work done. "It's going really fast! We're happy and proud. We're going to keep proving that we're capable of going even further," said the chef.

▶ Find the full portrait of chef Charles-Antoine Jouxtel in the Têtes d'affiche section of the Normandie guide on sale this Thursday, October 3, 2024.

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