An emblematic chef from Cantal has passed away: Serge Vieira died this Saturday following a long illness, announced the Twitter account of the Bocuse d’Or, a competition he won in 2005, and his relatives. Aged 46, he had chaired the French Bocuse d’Or team for several years, a sort of World Cup for chefs.
A native of Clermont-Ferrand, born into a family of Portuguese origin, Serge Vieira had won two Michelin stars for the restaurant bearing his name at the Château de Couffour in Chaudes-Aigues, in Cantal. He was keen to “place Chaudes-Aigues and Cantal on the map of gastronomic destinations”, underlined his family on Instagram.
“He plays in the big leagues”
“In his contemporary vessel – stone, iron and glass – nestled in a medieval fortress, with a 360° view of the surroundings, he plays in the big leagues. His dishes, elaborated to the quarter of hair, are skilfully composed, and his technique never takes precedence over taste, ”comments the famous red guide, about his cuisine.
Serge Vieira was destined for a career as an industrial designer, before reorienting himself towards cooking. He had learned in renowned houses (Dominique Robert, Régis Marcon) before winning the Bocuse d’Or at the age of 27. The gastronomic restaurant, the hotel and the Sodade bistro “will continue to welcome” visitors “to live the ‘Vieira experience’ which was so important to him”, affirm his family, his friends and collaborators in an online post.