La Cure des Papilles

Where are you from ? I am from Charnay, from Mâcon by birth. Why this job? What is your background ? I worked in Mâcon as an employee and in 2009 I wanted to change activities and, as a career change, I opened a delicatessen and cheese store. It’s my epicurean side. My childhood and my education in farm products and fruits and vegetables, fresh farm products and the convivial side, meetings around a snack and good food. What I like is to convey a French art of living, find good products and offer something other than the classic products from supermarkets which don't have many flavors. Give people pleasure again. And in the act of purchasing, it's knowing that when they buy something possibly more expensive, they have the return of pleasure and flavors in the product. Afterwards it is about discovering the wealth that we have in France, a wealth which is not necessarily affordable at first glance because, physically, it is small SMEs, small businesses in all French departments but which do not have access through the distribution network of supermarkets. They are carried by small shops like mine. These products can be found at our vacation spots in a country house. We buy a local product or two and take it home. I try to do the opposite, I bring them to the store and people can come and get a cassoulet at any time of the year instead of waiting for the holidays to pick it up in the region of origin. So it’s about discovering. I am quite curious in terms of gastronomy and in terms of the rich heritage, the artisans who are very numerous in making very good quality products. Why here? I did a little quick market research and Charnay interested me. Given the products I offered, I had customers. And Mâcon didn't inspire me too much. There weren't many locations available, financially affordable and I could see that the city center was already declining a little. I felt Charnay much more dynamic even if it took quite a long time to establish itself. And now, for several years, Charnay has been very dynamic. Your favorite place on the Grand Site? The place that scared me when I was a kid, which is now closed to the public, was the east face ascent where the Rock is very polished by the passages and a fairly narrow place which is prohibited because there are a risk of falling. Your best memory on the Grand Site? Walks in this place. It was good, because we were directly in contact with the Rock and then the cliff. There is a small steep path with natural steps. This is what stays in my memory. Now we go around the main path on the side but the pleasure is still intact when we get up there. The site is magnificent with Vergisson, the Grange du Bois and the vineyards.