Chef’s kiss for grass-fed Irish beef

Guillaume is the owner of L’Étage, a beautiful second-floor restaurant – the only second-floor establishment of this kind remaining in Lyon, he explains – overlooking the historic and very picturesque Place des Terreaux. In addition to being owner, he is head chef and waiter at this intimate and much-sought-after restaurant. Guillaume is at the heart of everything that L’Étage does; not only does he prepare and cook the finest produce, but he must also share its story with his discerning clientele. With Irish beef featuring on his menu for five-to six-months of the year, and having the opportunity to visit the source of that beef, it is a story that tells and sells very well.

Chefs’ trip

Guillaume has been a member of Bord Bia’s Chefs’ Irish Beef Club for four years. He visited Ireland for the first time two years ago and, more recently, he joined a group of 18 French and Belgian chefs – with nine Michelin stars between them – on a five-day tour of farms and food producers. The tour included a visit to Hereford Prime beef farmer, John Applebe’s farm, where the chefs heard about his grassland management, rotational grazing, reseeding, and use of clover; while Kay O’Sullivan’s organic beef and sheep farm was also on the itinerary.
The latter really piqued Guillaume’s interest. Kay’s farm has been certified by the Organic Trust since 2012 and she spoke to the chefs about her use of multi-species swards in her all-grass-based system, as well as finishing her Angus cattle at 19 months’ without any meal-feeding. “I didn’t know that there was also organic beef [in Ireland],” says Guillaume. “We met the farmer, Kay, who told us all about how the cattle were reared, what the cattle were eating, the herbs and bok choi. Bok choi is well-known in France, but not for feeding cattle,” he laughs. “It was very nice to see her on this farm because she is so passionate; passionate about what she is doing, passionate about all the animals and all the details, such as the hedgerows growing there.”

‘Green stuff everywhere’

As an industry, Irish agriculture prides itself on its grass-based system; it is the foundation  of our beef’s unique selling point to the rest of the world. Guillaume’s take on this, as a chef from France where they know a thing or two about beef production, is very interesting. “When you visit a farm in Ireland you see all that green stuff [grass] everywhere. It’s like being in a movie,” Guillaume says, laughing. “For me, in France, we have nice beef, but it’s just not the same. Even if it is raining in Lyon, the grass is green, but not as green as it is in Ireland. We don’t have big grass, you know? And the cattle are not outside as much, so, it’s very different. In Ireland, the first thing farmers talk about is grass, grass, grass,” he laughs.
“It’s fantastic, when you are a chef, to see the produce at the very beginning. All the products I use, Mother Nature gives to us: we are just here to cook it, very simply, because it is great produce that makes the difference,” he says. Having visited Ireland, met the farmers, walked their farms, and picked – and sniffed – their grasses, Guillaume says he is more than happy to support Irish beef production and to feature it on his incredible menus. It might not be from France, but Ireland is a European country, and the beef is consistently excellent, he says: “In France, we have nice beef, for sure, but Ireland is not too far from France and is part of Europe, so I am more than pleased to work with Irish people. And with all the Irish beef I have had, I never have been disappointed with it,” he says.

On the menu

At L’Étage, Guillaume off ers a tasting menu, which he changes every week. The beef fillet is his go-to cut: “A lot of chefs don’t like it, but I like to work with the fillet,” he says. He occasionally likes to use ribeye, but the fillet suits his system of work much better: “I’m alone in the kitchen, and while ribeye is very good and maybe a bit more flavourful, portioning it can be a headache.” He chooses Angus fillets for the restaurant because they have the correct amount of fat and flavour that he requires. On Guillaume’s tasting menu, the beef is served at the end – the best course saved for last: “For me, red meat is an ending dish,” he says.

The French verdict

What reception do Guillaume’s customers give the Irish beef on his menu? “The French are a bit like the Irish, we are very proud of what we produce,” he says. “But they are happy once the quality is unquestionable. But the quality has to be perfect for people to accept it.” And it goes back to the story of Irish beef – telling it and selling it: “When people ask why I use Irish beef, I tell them it is because it is grass fed, and I have been lucky enough to visit Ireland and see it, so I have a bit more to explain to the customer, and this is important. Sometimes, just because something is produced or grown near you, it doesn’t mean that it is good. Once the value for money is there, people are happy.”
Guillaume pays great tribute to the Irish farmers who work so diligently to produce such high-quality beef, and he admits that there is some pressure to perform in the kitchen to honour their work, and to honour the animal itself. “In the end, you can produce the best beef in the world but if we [as chefs] don’t do a good plate, people will not be able to appreciate the quality of Irish beef. So, we have a bit of pressure on us to create a nice ending in the restaurant.”