Jacques Ratier

Before setting anchor at Les Arques, Jacques Ratier has gained his culinary expertise in noble kitchens.

He did his apprenticeship in a 1 star Michelin restaurant in the surroundings of Toulouse, ( where he was born) and he graduated best apprentice of France in the year 1981.

He then went to work with André Daguin (2 star Michelin) for one year before going to one of the best restaurant of France "Le Moulin de Mougins", a 3 star Michelin owned by the very famous Roger Vergé. He stayed there four years before being a globetrotting chef in Polynesia, West Indies, Brazil, and Singapore.

Since 1993, Jacques and his wife Noelle have run the Restaurant La Récréation in South West of France, illustrated in Michael Sanders's book "From Here, You Can't See Paris".

Jacques loves this region of wine and its truffles and mushrooms that he picks in the local forests.