“The group’s mission is to celebrate the heritage of the French art of living and gastronomy — to be merchants of happiness, as Dad used to say.”
It was a great pleasure to speak with Bérangère Loiseau. Her story resonates: a great family Maison now led by a woman, values rooted in French excellence, and the all-consuming passion that drives her to preserve its legacy and pass it on.
My guest grew up at the heart of one of the most iconic names in French gastronomy, in Saulieu: the Relais Bernard Loiseau. Her father, Bernard Loiseau, made history by transforming a Burgundian inn into a world-renowned three-Michelin-star restaurant, before his sudden death when Bérangère was just 14.
At the time, many questioned whether the group could endure, so closely was it identified with Bernard Loiseau. To understand the context: Bernard Loiseau was a star then, France’s favourite public figure — nine out of ten people knew who he was.
It could all have ended there. But her mother, Dominique Loiseau, achieved what seemed impossible and preserved that legacy. Twenty years later, Bérangère has taken the helm, with a clear ambition: to write the next fifty years of a group that has become a leading name in French gastronomy and hospitality.
Bérangère joined the family group in 2013 and gradually took the helm. Multilingual, a business school graduate and holder of a professional culinary qualification, she has her father’s passion and her mother’s determination. She became the group’s CEO in 2023. While respecting its heritage, she has succeeded in bringing her own vision to it: reinventing without ever compromising its values of craftsmanship and excellence — a delicate balance.
“We embody the very best of French heritage,” she says. And she proves it: the group has a presence in Saulieu, Beaune, Dijon, Besançon, Megève and even Tokyo. In September, the Maison will set up in Metz, Vever’s birthplace, in the former fish market (1844), an iconic setting that will carry the French art de vivre still further.
An episode about heritage, resilience and the beauty of passing things on.
In this episode, Bérangère reflects on:
- Her childhood in one of France’s most celebrated gastronomic Maisons.
- The loss of her father when she was 14, and the extraordinary strength of her mother, Dominique, in keeping the Maison alive.
- Her arrival at the group in 2013 and her path to becoming CEO.
- The challenge of making a name for herself when her family name carries so much history.
- The challenges, COVID and the difficult balance of reinventing the business while remaining true to its identity, illustrated by the renovation of the legendary Côte-d’Or.
- What the Bernard Loiseau Group is today: its restaurants, hotels, spa and network of pâtisseries.
- Passing on expertise at the heart of the Loiseau Academy.
- The expansion into Metz and the Maison’s new horizons.
- Her dictionary of audacity: a strong conviction that brings reason and emotion into alignment.
