Meet Hervé Deville
Cooking Chef
Pierre Gagnaire's SKETCH Executive Chef ( London, United Kingdom) since 2011, french Chef Hervé Deville advocates a simple cooking. A "cooking with a history" which creates emotions. Heading a squad of 80 people serving 700 to 800 covers per day, this Chef trained by the greatests cultivates the "Pierre Gagnaire spirit" with enthusiasm.
Portrait of an atypical Chef.
Portrait of an atypical Chef.
- WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A CHEF?
- Encounters have been determining, especially with Claude Legras, chef of the restaurant Le Floris (Geneva, Switzerland). He changed my approach to the job by initiating me to sense cooking. I then had the chance of joining Chef Éric Fréchon’s squad. Afterwards, I joined the restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin (Ireland) where I spent three years as sous-chef. I officiated two years as chef at Wenge (Luxembourg) before being contacted by a head-hunter who was looking for a kitchen chef for Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant in Moscow. Two days later, the Chef was offering me to settled down in his London establishment instead. I immediately fell for this absolutely incredible place. I met Pierre Gagnaire for the first time when I was 14 while working as a temp. We are both from the same city: Saint-Étienne. Twenty years later I was celebrating my birthday in his presence. Everything came full circle!
- WHAT ARE YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION?
- Everything in daily life as well as memories inspires me. An imprecision can also be a source of inspiration. For instance, I think about our Jacob’s Cream, made with the Elle & Vire Professionnel ® Excellence Cream, lemon juice and sugar. Once cooled and abounded, this sour cream—which we initially thought was ruined—accompanies our smocked salmon sandwiches perfectly!
Other chefs’ work is also inspiring. I admire the “boss chefs”, completely independent and passionate who go seek for their stars far from Paris, such as Alexandre Couillon. I also admire initiatives such as the one carried by Massimo Bottura who works to help homeless people by fighting against food waste. - WHAT DOES FRENCH EXCELLENCE MEAN TO YOU? WHAT IS YOUR VERSION OF THE FRENCH TOUCH?
- For me, French excellence is perpetuating traditions, a story, a heritage, one that is in line with Auguste Escoffier. It is also about a great mastering of techniques. However, this culinary excellence is not specifically French: it is international. For me, the French Touch is a story of regions, the wealth of terroirs, diversity of identities. I am convinced that one must know to remain coherent, working with a central theme. At Sketch, we take great care in sourcing products locally, creating our menus depending on seasons respecting a pricing logic without compromising on taste.
- WHAT IS THE “GAGNAIRE SPIRIT”?
- Pierre Gagnaire’s cooking is one with history and a personality which does not look to stand out solely to stand out. I enjoy saying that it is a “cooking which is cooked”. In a time when cooks have sometimes a tendency to lose themselves by cooking for others and outbidding with always more technique, we defend a simple cooking, legible and coherent menus. Keeping my feet on the ground is dear to me. In my eyes, the greatest pleasures of life are spontaneous. The greatest culinary emotions are felt immediately, there is no need for explanation, no need to intellectualise things because in the end, taste always takes precedent and that
is what we remember. As a man, Pierre Gagnaire is a genuine patriarch who knows to inspire a true family spirit to his establishments. - WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ELLE & VIRE PROFESSIONNEL ®? WHICH PRODUCTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO YOU?
- Elle & Vire Professionnel ® Excellence Cooking Cream is one of my essentials. It offers an unequalled stability and quality. I have always had an Elle & Vire Professionnel ® pack in the kitchen! It is a brand which saw me grow and continuing to use its products is a no-brainer.