Born in Limoges in 1952 to mill owner parents who welcomed farmers who had come to collect flour at their table, Jacques Chibois developed a taste for the wonderful produce the land has to offer.
After his farming studies, he soon discovered his future career path with the support of his mother, and he started an apprenticeship at a Michelin starred restaurant near his hometown.
Jacques Chibois undertook a tour of France in 1974, which allowed him to work with the greatest Michelin star chefs, including Jean Delaveyne, Roger Vergé, and Louis Outhier. His travels around France allowed him to meet Michel Guérard, with whom he worked for five years after completing his apprenticeship. During his military service, he worked as the private chef for a four-star general, leaving the army as a Staff Sergeant. He then led the kitchens at Club REGINE's in Paris, New York and London, as well as hosting private dinners at the French Ministries.
In 1981, he became chef at Le Royal Gray at the Hotel Gray d’Albion, which was the first restaurant in the city of Cannes to receive two Michelin stars, four Gault et Millau “toques”, and chef of the year. It was cited as the best restaurant by the Gault & Millau guide. Jacques Chibois supervised this collection of four restaurants and organised opening and closing dinners at the Cannes Film Festival.
After a five-year search, in 1996 Jacques Chibois bought a Provençal country house nestled in an ancient olive grove, in the style of the Colombe d’Or in St Paul, epitomising the way of life along the Côte d’Azur. The chef obtained two Michelin stars in 1997, and four Gault & Millau Guide “toques” in 2010. His flavourful, aromatic and light cuisine lifts the spirit at the heart of Provence.
In this timeless location, as put so well by the food critic Gilles Pudlowski “this expert tutor is happy to present food as he sees it, telling us about his Provence through the seasons, and filling our senses with a series of sublime dishes which form a happy symphony!”
Would you like to have a unique experience with a Michelin-starred chef? Jacques Chibois invites you to spend a day at his side in the kitchen. You will work as part of a group, moving from one station to another.
You will move from observation to practice. Depending on what you want, you can discover what you really want to do at the heart of La Bastide Saint-Antoine’s kitchen.
The bravest visitors will have the chance to accompany Jacques Chibois to the market.