Gastronomy: Pierre Romeyer joined his stars

Brussels

The only cook ever ennobled in our country has died at the age of 88.

A true monster of Belgian gastronomy that has just left us: Pierre Romeyer, one of the most emblematic chefs of the black-yellow-red kitchen died at home on the night of Wednesday to Thursday at the age of 88 years. Very physically diminished after a domestic accident that had deprived him in recent years of a large part of his mobility, the head of the famous Maison de Bouche had yet kept alive his vivacity of spirit, his formidable sense of humor. humor and … its legendary appetite!

I was able to realize this last February at a friendly lunch, where the truculent man had still amazed me by his foresight on the realities of what he considered "the best job in the world". Indeed, in his eyes, the cooks were – and still are – "true merchants of happiness."

Often considered a bit like the Belgian version of Paul Bocuse, of which he was a great friend, Pierre Romeyer had been a of the first mediatized chiefs, having largely contributed to, as it was said at the time, "take the cook out of the cellar". Indeed, for a long time considered as simple servants in the service of a boss, the chefs of cooking have conquered the place of real entrepreneurs only relatively recently and, with us, largely thanks to examples like the one which comes from us quitter

Back at the age of 14 in the kitchen, Pierre Romeyer, was born in Etterbeek on June 28, 1930, had patiently climbed the ranks of the profession, pbading among others by emblematic houses like the Carlton of Julien Vermeersch. After winning the Prix Prosper Montagné in 1955, he was noticed by Count Moens de Fernig, general commissioner of the Universal Exhibition of 1958, who made him the head of the Belvedere castle, where he had the task of cooking for the countless personalities and crowned heads who would be the hosts of the Belgian authorities on this occasion.

Once the exhibition ended Pierre Romeyer then opened in 1959, with a partner, the restaurant Le Val Vert, in Hoeilaart, before finally launching on its own, in 1967, La Maison de Bouche, also in Hoeilaart. It is this establishment that will take it to the top of the gourmet glory, with obtaining a first Michelin star in 1969, a second in 1971 and finally, in 1983, the summit of the pneumatic galaxy with three stars, a level it will continue until its cessation of activity in 1994.

Among its many titles of glory, we can mention the creation, in 1980, of the Association of Master Cooks of Belgium, of which he was the first President and, in collaboration with Paul Bocuse, in 1986, Euro Toques, "the European Cooking Community". Finally, the highest achievement of his career was, in 2002, the personal title Baron, with which for the first time in its history, Belgium would ennoble a cook.

An immense loss for Belgian cuisine, therefore, with the departure of one who, even today, is cited as an example by many chefs of our country who were trained by him.