Meeting with Manon Fleury

MANON FLEURY

Books allow you to set things down. In an age of social media, there is a tendency not to step back from what we do. Writing a book forces you to ask yourself: Where am I at? What is my narrative? What are the recipes I want to create? Documenting your work gets your creative juices flowing! In my book Cereals (Ed: published in 2022 by Flammarion), I examine the place of bread in French cuisine, particularly the central role it plays in our daily cereal intake. My aim was to explore how this could be diversified and put it into perspective at a time when gluten intolerance is widespread and 55% of wheat fields are devoted to ultra-processed wheat. I believe it is possible to diversify the French agricultural landscape – and that doing so would be a positive step towards self-sufficiency. When we talk about diversity in food and in plant-based foods, what alternatives can we turn to in order to rethink our daily relationship with cereals? I hope the book can serve as a tool for engaging with the public around the use of cereals and for showing how they can be elevated - ultimately moving away from the heavy, overly repetitive ways in which we are used to preparing them on a daily basis.

MANON FLEURY

Sometimes, saying things that are slightly radical can push boundaries. At the same time, I’ve realised that change requires a measured approach – true revolution does not shake up conventions overnight. After creating a different system at Datil, I couldn’t now go back to a classic hierarchy, with a certain number of men in the kitchen dictating orders and disregarding my authority. I am fully aware that this is still unusual in French gastronomy. Since Datil opened two years ago, our team has been 80% women and I am extremely proud to work alongside them every day. And the system works beautifully!

MANON FLEURY

Absolutely. People are the cornerstone of this project – that matters more to me than simply saying it’s built on talented chefs in the kitchen. I feel there are still thousands of things for me to learn in this profession and yes, I want to draw on different experiences and backgrounds to broaden my perspective. There is so much to discover – techniques both new and traditional, places, people, ingredients – the list is endless. I don’t have time to get bored! In fact, we make a point of meeting all our producers, including our partner winegrowers, both men and women.

MANON FLEURY

Totally – I love wine. I’m fascinated by it but haven’t yet had the time or opportunity to focus on it fully. I feel that once a restaurant is well-established, you have the energy to devote to wine. It’s a subject that truly interests me, especially through the stories of the winegrowers and above all, the pairing aspect – a great wine can elevate a dish and transport it to another place!

MANON FLEURY

The entire team at Datil went to meet her to learn more about her vineyards and her work. That’s when she suggested creating a wine together! She gave us fresh Cinsault and Muscat de Hambourg juice to taste so we could blend them. We shared our impressions and essentially ‘rustled up’ a wine together! She used a wine thief, we blended and then tasted the wine again – much like we do with a jus in the kitchen. For a ‘kidnapping’ experience, it was great fun! Just like our cuisine, the wine was complex yet simple and generous. And, of course, we now serve it at the restaurant!

MANON FLEURY

I love Champagne. Our cuisine, which focuses on living ingredients, producers and has a plant-based core, is particularly well-suited to it – especially grower Champagnes. For instance, the Champagnes by Olivier Horiot from the village of Riceys are magnificent, especially his extraordinary Soléra label, a blend of seven Champagne grape varieties fermented as a ‘blanc de noir’ – it can elevate dishes like scallops or even a simple turnip confit. I could happily enjoy an entire meal with a bottle of Champagne, such as those by Elise Bougy, which I find incredibly aromatic. It really puts vegetables at the heart of the flavour experience – and I think that’s pretty cool.

MANON FLEURY

Our sommelier, Valentine Roustit, pairs the wines with dishes on the menu, though we often discuss everything together first. In the same spirit, skin-contact wines work particularly well with our cuisine. An example that comes to mind is wine by Patrick Meyer from Julien Meyer & Fils in Alsace. His Gewurztraminer, in particular, adds freshness and an aromatic introduction that is perfect for fresh starters. For even more striking freshness, I turn to Sicilian wines by Alessandro Viola. Despite coming from a hot climate, they are ethereal and effortless.