Fernand Point

The Pyramid of Vienne

Fernand Point (25 February 1897 in Louhans – 4 March 1955 in Vienne) was a French chef and restaurateur and is considered to be the father of modern French cuisine. He founded the French restaurant La Pyramide in Vienne near Lyon.

Early life

He was born in Louhans, Saône-et-Loire, France. Both his parents were accomplished chefs in cordon bleu and ran a buffet place. He started cooking when he was ten and worked at some of the best restaurants of the time.

Career

He had received his training with Foyot in Paris, the Bristol Hotel, Paris, the Majestic in Cannes, and the Royal Hotel in Évian-les-Bains. "In 1922, he and his family moved to Vienne, a city in southwest France near Lyon, and opened a restaurant. Two years later his father left the restaurant to Fernand, who renamed it La Pyramide</"On Cooking, Sarah Labensky, 2011>

La Pyramide

Point opened Restaurant de la Pyramide when he was 24, about 20 miles South of Lyon in the town of Vienne. He gained three Michelin stars.

Ma Gastronomie

The book Ma Gastronomie was first published in French in 1969, 200 recipes are included based on Fernand Point notes. The chef Charlie Trotter described Point's Ma Gastronomie as the most important cookbook.^[1]

Personal life

Fernand Point was married to Marie Louise.

Publications

• Point, Fernand (2008) Ma Gastronomie, Rookery Press. ISBN 978-1-58567-961-4

References