Dominique Crenn is not just the founder of the now three Michelin Star restaurant Atelier Crenn, but she is a visionary, an artist and an inspiration to not only female chefs, but male too. This illustrates that if one has passion, drive, and commitment, they can achieve their dreams.
Chef Dominique Crenn was raised in Brittany after she was adopted at 18 months. Her approach to her menu is like a story, with each course is presented as a line of a poem, inscribing a close memory of hers into the diners mind. This gives the diner an emotional connection with the food, creating a full sensory experience.
From a tender age, she had always dined at Michelin establishments with her father. She also spent time at home cooking with her mother. Often, they would go out and travel the world in Paris through the portal of restaurants spanning global cuisine. By the time she was old enough, Chef Dominique already had an idea of the direction, culinary ideas and vision she wanted to strive towards.
I say chef and not ‘Female Chef’ because Chef Dominique was awarded ‘Best Female Chef’ in 2016 by the prestigious ‘Worlds 50 Best Restaurants’. What she was angered about was the fact it explicitly said female, as if they should be in a different category as male chefs. I totally agree with her, what does it matter what gender you are, the main thing is that you are recognised for the quality of food you produce alone, not compartmentalised due to gender. I respect her for standing up and speaking out about this. She has helped to shed light on sexism in the culinary industry, and can thus be revered as a pioneer striving for gender equality.
Her first mark on the map came with Atelier Crenn, a restaurant that she uses as a platform to portray her story and memories of growing up. Since opening the restaurant has not only been the first to reach two Michelin stars in the US by a female chef (I hate specifying this but it’s what is stated) in 2011 and three in 2018, a feat achieved by no other female chef. Whilst reaching this prestigious status, she has always prioritised the diners and the dining experience.
This is not the only dining establishment that she has under her wing. Since opening Atelier Crenn, Chef Dominique had opened Petite Crenn. This was later established to create an intimate dining experience, with a homely, relaxed vibe. One star Michelin, Bar Crenn, opened in 2018 primarily focuses on providing a fine wine experience paired with quality food.
Now to talk about a topic that I’d rather avoid, but it is a part of what makes Chef Dominique so much stronger. At the beginning of May 2019, she shared the news of her diagnosis of breast cancer. In her announcement post she said “I feel both scared and humbled and yet not alone. One in EIGHT women have breast cancer. I am neither alone nor unique.”. This was so brave as it is usually a topic where some people would associate with weakness, but not Chef Dominique. Of course she would be afraid but she had the support of her family, friends and fans. Moreover she had a positive outlook to it, knowing she will battle through it, frequently posting with #FuckCancer #LoveCancer and #Incrennible because she truly is.
More recently, Chef Dominique has begun to promote sustainability and a cleaner planet through a “Wake Up” mission. She has gained the support of food producers, suppliers and many others in the culinary industry, calling for action to be taken to help fight climate change. This has included involvement and support from top chefs such as Massimo Bottura (who himself has campaigned for food sustainability & reducing waste), Alex Atala and Daniel Boulud.
I think that you have to truly be an influential human being to reach out to people around the world the way that Chef Dominique has. I was lucky enough to come across her in an episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix and then thought to myself – what an amazing human being.
Bear and a Plate 