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Food critics blamed for French chef's death
Apparent suicide believed linked to drop in ratings
ELAINE GANLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS—Like many a great artist, Bernard Loiseau was a fragile and sometimes tortured soul, a perfectionist tending to one of France's greatest passions: food.
Loiseau's apparent suicide Monday shocked France, plunged the gastronomic world into mourning and raised a storm of condemnation from fellow culinary masters, who blamed all-powerful food critics for pushing the celebrated chef toward despair.
But Loiseau was also facing falling profits and exhaustion, his associates said.
Francois Simon, food critic at Le Figaro and the journalist who had been hardest on Loiseau, wrote earlier this year that Loiseau was in danger of losing his third Michelin star, an event that would be financially catastrophic.
Paul Bocuse, France's most famous chef, was quick to point the finger at the country's restaurant guides, whose ratings can make or break a culinary establishment — particularly one in an out-of-the-way corner of the country like Loiseau's Hotel de la Cote d'Or.
Bocuse said Loiseau had been distraught over downgrade by the influential Gault-Millau restaurant guide when the two men spoke Sunday. Bocuse likened the country's culinary critics to court eunuchs, who "understand how it's done, but can't do it."
Loiseau, 52, was found dead in the bedroom of his home in Saulieu, near his three-star restaurant in the Burgundy region southeast of Paris. A rifle was at his side.
Prosecutor Jean-Pierre Alacchi said suicide was "very probably" the cause of death, to be determined in an autopsy.
"All these people, all these exceptional beings who give you the impression of so much assurance, they are all very fragile, they all have such strong moments of doubt," said Loiseau's wife Dominique.
The energetic Loiseau was a pioneer inside and outside the kitchen. He was among the first chefs to promote "nouvelle cuisine," thick, creamy sauces and cooking various ingredients, like vegetables, separately to maximize their flavour.
Loiseau, who had three children, also became an entrepreneur, with a line of frozen foods, a boutique near his restaurant and three eateries in Paris. He published numerous books and appeared on television.
Loiseau is the only French chef whose culinary empire is traded on the stock exchange, where shares were suspended yesterday until further notice.
Amid it all, Loiseau managed to maintain his restaurant's top three-star rating, first awarded in 1991 by the benchmark Michelin Red Guide. But the Red Guide said it was forced to issue a statement Feb. 7 to stop "all the rumours" that Loiseau could be losing a prized star.
Loiseau did lose two points, going from 19 to 17, in the 20-point rating system of the Gault-Millau. Other chefs castigated the rating system of which they all are captive.
"He said, `If I lose a star, I'll kill myself,'" said another three-star chef, Jacques Lameloise.
The director of the Gault-Millau said it was unthinkable that removing two points could have pushed Loiseau over the edge.
"Bernard Loiseau, this great French chef, certainly had other problems," Patrick Moyenobe said on LCI television.
There is no equivalent here in Canada to the kind of pressure put on European chefs gunning to earn, or maintain, Michelin stars or Gault-Millau points.
"Over there they have restaurants in castles and look for prestige, the best silverware, the best glasses, hand-made plates," French-born Toronto chef Didier Leroy told the Star's Jennifer Bain. "But here the chefs don't really care much about that. They are not at that level yet, so we don't have to worry about this happening here."
Apparent suicide believed linked to drop in ratings
ELAINE GANLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS—Like many a great artist, Bernard Loiseau was a fragile and sometimes tortured soul, a perfectionist tending to one of France's greatest passions: food.
Loiseau's apparent suicide Monday shocked France, plunged the gastronomic world into mourning and raised a storm of condemnation from fellow culinary masters, who blamed all-powerful food critics for pushing the celebrated chef toward despair.
But Loiseau was also facing falling profits and exhaustion, his associates said.
Francois Simon, food critic at Le Figaro and the journalist who had been hardest on Loiseau, wrote earlier this year that Loiseau was in danger of losing his third Michelin star, an event that would be financially catastrophic.
Paul Bocuse, France's most famous chef, was quick to point the finger at the country's restaurant guides, whose ratings can make or break a culinary establishment — particularly one in an out-of-the-way corner of the country like Loiseau's Hotel de la Cote d'Or.
Bocuse said Loiseau had been distraught over downgrade by the influential Gault-Millau restaurant guide when the two men spoke Sunday. Bocuse likened the country's culinary critics to court eunuchs, who "understand how it's done, but can't do it."
Loiseau, 52, was found dead in the bedroom of his home in Saulieu, near his three-star restaurant in the Burgundy region southeast of Paris. A rifle was at his side.
Prosecutor Jean-Pierre Alacchi said suicide was "very probably" the cause of death, to be determined in an autopsy.
"All these people, all these exceptional beings who give you the impression of so much assurance, they are all very fragile, they all have such strong moments of doubt," said Loiseau's wife Dominique.
The energetic Loiseau was a pioneer inside and outside the kitchen. He was among the first chefs to promote "nouvelle cuisine," thick, creamy sauces and cooking various ingredients, like vegetables, separately to maximize their flavour.
Loiseau, who had three children, also became an entrepreneur, with a line of frozen foods, a boutique near his restaurant and three eateries in Paris. He published numerous books and appeared on television.
Loiseau is the only French chef whose culinary empire is traded on the stock exchange, where shares were suspended yesterday until further notice.
Amid it all, Loiseau managed to maintain his restaurant's top three-star rating, first awarded in 1991 by the benchmark Michelin Red Guide. But the Red Guide said it was forced to issue a statement Feb. 7 to stop "all the rumours" that Loiseau could be losing a prized star.
Loiseau did lose two points, going from 19 to 17, in the 20-point rating system of the Gault-Millau. Other chefs castigated the rating system of which they all are captive.
"He said, `If I lose a star, I'll kill myself,'" said another three-star chef, Jacques Lameloise.
The director of the Gault-Millau said it was unthinkable that removing two points could have pushed Loiseau over the edge.
"Bernard Loiseau, this great French chef, certainly had other problems," Patrick Moyenobe said on LCI television.
There is no equivalent here in Canada to the kind of pressure put on European chefs gunning to earn, or maintain, Michelin stars or Gault-Millau points.
"Over there they have restaurants in castles and look for prestige, the best silverware, the best glasses, hand-made plates," French-born Toronto chef Didier Leroy told the Star's Jennifer Bain. "But here the chefs don't really care much about that. They are not at that level yet, so we don't have to worry about this happening here."
good god....
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