Regret in France #1
Bernachon is considered by some the best chocolatier in France. It's located at 42 Cours Franklin Roosevelt, 69006, Lyon. It turns out that our hotel in Lyon was right behind Bernachon. However, we arrived Sunday evening for a taste of the legendary Paul Bocuse restaurant, and had to leave Lyon by 7am on Tuesday, and Bernachon is closed on Mondays, we didn't make it.
Deeply rooted in the great culinary tradtions of Lyonm the acclaimed center of the gastronomic world, the Bernachon family have come to represent the last great chocolate dynasty. At the age of 14, Maurice ("Papa") Bernachon was sent to be an apprentice patissier under the direction of Monsieur Debeauge in Pont de Beauvoisin. At the time, chocolate was a rare commodity; only affordable to the very richest familiers. The atelier was established in 1955 behind the shop in the Cours Franklin Roosevelt, and remains little changed to this day. It would be unthinkable today to set up such an enterprise - with each part of the production, from the roasting of the cocoa beans to the dipping to truffles, taking place right in the heart of the most fashionable quarter in Lyon. Until recently, the Bernachons housed their employees in dormitories above the workshops, and even today the company dining rooms feed all 50 artisan chocolatiers.
Bernachon refused to expand beyond the heart of Lyon, feeling that the quality of their product would inevitably be compromised - a refreshing attitude in these times of speculation, takeovers, and mergers. As if to complete the golden circle, Jean Jacques Bernachon married the daughter of one of Lyon's most celebrated chefs: Paul Bocuse. When Maurice Bernachon passed away in 1988m grandchildren Stephanie and Philippe Bernachon took over as the business passed to another generation. Who could possibly compete with such a family?
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