From the age of seven, Pascal Barbot knew he wanted to be a chef. Raised in the small town of Auvergne in central France, he spent a lot of time harvesting vegetables in his father’s garden and watching his parents prepare traditional French cuisine.

As a young culinary student and an avid traveler, he began his training at some of the top restaurants in Europe and Australia. His training included time spent at Maxim’s in Paris, Clave in Clermont- Ferrand, Les Saveurs in London and Troisgros in Rome. He then worked with mentor Chef Alain Passard at L’Arpege, who above all taught him to respect even the most basic of products. It was during those five years that he met Chrisophe Rohat, which led to a partnership and the opening of their restaurant, Astrance in July of 2000. Its debut turned out to be a major culinary event in the Parisian restaurant scene. After only one year, the restaurant received a Michelin star. It acquired it’s second star in 2005.