Frédéric Ménager The Ferme de La Ruchotte's alternative chef

Frédéric Ménager: An alternative chef is born

Discover the La Ruchotte carving knife

When he was young Fred Ménager announced,

"When I grow up, I will be a musician!”

His grandparents brought him back down to reality by responding,

"You’ll be a chef!"

His passion for Heavy Metal, growing a goatee and wearing T-shirts from his favorite bands began at an early age. Now he devotes most of his time to raising heritage poultry breeds, as one of the founding pillars of his restaurant is to only use animals that he has raised.

His culinary revelation

Alain Chapel explained,

"[One] needs to know the cow that made the milk..."

Among the many great restaurants where Fred has worked are Hôtel Balzac, the Laurent and Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant, where he worked as the roaster.

Michel Chardigny, assistant manager of Balzac recommended him at Alain Chapel’s restaurant. He began working there in 1991. This marked the starting point of his culinary revelation.

Under the wing of his mentor Philippe Jousse, whom he would end up assisting in 1993, he learned the importance of placing the quality of his ingredients above all else as well as respecting the conditions in which they are raised.

Take off

In 1995, Fred decided to branch out on his own, becoming head Chef at Castel de Très Girard for 5 "wonderful" years. During this time, he began to think about the quality of meat, especially poultry.

"I told myself that it was difficult to buy good meat. For vegetables it was okay, I had started working with Annie Bertin (A renowned French vegetable farmer)..."

The shift to breeding livestock

His quest for the perfect poultry

Fred started raising his own chickens, but soon realized that they were not up to his high standards. So, he began his quest for the perfect chicken.

It started in Bresse at Guy Morey’s "Les Animaux des Petits Bois," where he purchased Alsace hens and a Golden Gauloise cock.

Winner of Champion de France in 2000

Everything took off from there; he raised 150 birds a year, meeting incredible people along the way, including the genetics veterinarian Roland Dams and Alain Baudier Fred’s poultry farming mentor and president of Avicol’Club who organizes famous heritage poultry tastings. In 2000 Fred one first place in the Golden Gauloise category at the Champion de France.

Frédéric Ménager: Chef, heritage poultry breeder and vegetable gardener

In 2001, he found the perfect location for creating his farm and organic restaurant, La Ruchotte^®, and decided to leave Castel de Très Girard to peruse his dreams.

The Ferme de La Ruchotte

Chef Frédéric Ménager’s balanced blend of French country style cooking and Haute Cuisine

The Ferme de La Ruchotte’s^® motto is, “From farm to table.” Frédéric Ménager’s dialed-in organic cuisine is the perfect blend of high-end French gastronomy and rusticity, focused on authenticity and creativity rather than the latest culinary trends. Chef Ménager designs his French Haute Cuisine Bourgeoise around the daily bounty his farm produces. He places the well-being of his livestock above all else. His organic restaurant is located in Bligny sur Ouche near Beaune in Côte d’Or, France and can accommodate 20 to 25 guests.

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“Our ‘tattooed chef’ and music fanatic, sublimates the magnificent ingredients he gave life to in his garden with the passion of a pianist.”
Fred COSSARD