Aged 91, the chef and emblematic figure of ‘nouvelle cuisine’ leaves behind him an immense legacy. Awarded the title of Meilleur ouvrier de France in the pastry-making class at the age of just 25, Michel Guérard revolutionised the culinary arts. A forerunner of the movement towards healthy, ‘slimming’ cuisine, which earned him the cover of Time, he has marked and inspired generations of chefs. His restaurant Les Prés d'Eugénie, located in Eugénie-les-Bains in the Landes region of France, has become a benchmark on the international scene, retaining its three stars since 1977 and offering the chef's signature dishes, such as ‘the best of guinea fowl cooked over an open fire’.

Michel Guérard is also known for his hotel, Les Prés d'Eugénie, an eight-hectare estate that opened in 1967 as the Grand Hôtel and became a member of the Relais & Châteaux association in 1969. In 1974, it became Les Prés d'Eugénie. In 2017, the hotel was awarded Palaces de France distinction, in recognition for the couple formed by Christine and Michel Guérard of their excellence, their exceptional service, their defence of the French art of living and the hotel's unique and poetic setting. This summer, the hotel celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Last April, the Tables & Auberges de France guide awarded him the Toque d'Or in recognition of his ‘exceptional contribution to French and international culinary art’. His death leaves a giant gap in the international culinary landscape.