5:12 AM. La Turballe port smells of iodine and warm diesel. Maëlys Kermarrec, 34, descends the auction steps with a step we sense is daily. "I've been coming for 4 years. The fishermen know me. They know what I'm looking for."
From Ferrandi to La Turballe
Originally from Saint-Nazaire, Maëlys left Loire-Atlantique at 18 to enter Ferrandi school in Paris. 8 years would follow in starred kitchens: Anne-Sophie Pic in Valence, Pascal Barbot at L'Astrance, Glenn Viel at L'Oustau de Baumanière. In 2021, she returns. "I needed my territory. Brittany, the sea, the peninsula light."
« The sea decides, Maëlys translates. Cooking precision, mastered acidities, absolute respect for Breton product. »
12 covers, one promise
Les Embruns opens in May 2022 with only 12 covers. Risky bet: no posted menu, dinner only, closed Mondays. "I wanted to master every plate. At 12 covers, I send every dish myself." The bet pays off: Tables Selection in March 2024, special press mention in November.
Next to the open kitchen, a wall of bottles: 380 references, 80% Loire and Brittany. Antoine Le Goff, sommelier, defends a militant regional cellar. "We don't need to go to Burgundy or Bordeaux. Loire is enough."
Monday, Maëlys rests. Tuesday at 5 AM, back to the auction. The tide doesn't wait.
