Michel Guérard dead at 91: He was considered one of the pioneers of France’s la nouvelle cuisine movement

The news of Michel Guérard’s death was reported by France Bleu who said that Philippe Brethes, the mayor of the commune of  Eugénie-les-Bain and the secretary of Michel Guérard, announced his passing. According to France Bleu, “Philippe Brethes, the mayor of the town, said he was ‘shocked and very moved’ by the death of this ‘particularly human and interesting man.’ He represented ‘a lot for the town,’ a great ambassador of the Landes, he was ‘elegant, approachable, and always had the right word,’ confided the elected official.”

Michel Guérard was born in Vétheuil in France, the impressionist Claude Monet lived there from 1878 to 1881. Michel Guérard moved to Pavilly as a child and then to the town of Mantes-la-Jolie on the Seine, and left school at the age of 16 to become an apprentice to Kléber Alix in Mante.

Michel Guérard told Relais & Châteaux that “I was watching my grandmother prepare a flaky pastry that I decided to become a ‘magician in a cooking house.” He went on to say that “I learnt palace cooking at ‘Le Crillon’ where I became head pastry chef in 1956. At that time Jean Delaveyne, who was older than me, initiated me into the secrets of a rebellious and original cuisine.”

During his career, Michel Guérard received many honours, including Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier de l' Ordre des Arts et des Lettres et Chevalier de l' Ordre national du Mérite. Since 1977, his restaurant Les Prés d'Eugénie has kept its Michelin three-star rating. 

The Telegraph described Guérard as someone who “was known in particular for developing a sort of sub-genre of the movement, known as cuisine minceur, literally “slimming cooking”, essentially consisting of less calorific versions of nouvelle cuisine dishes, and he went on to be one of the most influential and most copied of France’s nouvelle cuisine chefs.”

Michel Guérard was married to Christine Barthelemy, she predeceased him in 2017, he is survived by his two daughters.