How I bought an entire lot Dehillerin and Gaillard coppers from a closed restaurant north-west of Paris
L'Aubergade, Villiers-Saint-Frédéric - The Last Copper From 13 Route du Pontel
When L'Aubergade at 13 Route du Pontel closed its doors, officially liquidated on 16/08/2024 after generations of the Bordier family I was able to acquire part of the copper batterie. My French friend David picked up the lot himself on site, so I know for 100% that this is the original batterie from the MOF kitchen
No thin modern pans, but the real workhorses that fed this gastronomic restaurant for decades 2.5mm to 3.5mm thick. Not all from the same manufactor, makers like E. Dehillerin and Gaillard with sizes up to 50cm. The pans in the photos are exactly as they where since they left the France restaurant.
The lot consists mainly of quality pans from E. Dehillerin with all their different stamps. Many are heavily used and heavily repaired and that's exactly the proof of a real professional kitchen. Pans were saved and used for decades instead of being replaced, like most of us do nowadays
When you look closely to the photo's you see brazed repairs, hammer marks on the rim where they knocked the utensils empty, rivets replaced and flattened rivets hammered flat again to re-secure the handles
This is not damage this - is history. A pan that never needed repair never worked hard.
This is not a chefs set bought at once, but pans bought over decades as the restaurant grew.
L'Aubergade - Une Institution in Villiers-Saint-Frédéric
L'Aubergade was never about Michelin stars.
It was an ancien relais de poste from 1933, set in a one-hectare landscaped park at 13 Route du Pontel, Villiers-Saint-Frédéric, just northwest of Paris. A large glass bay - une grande verrière - looked out over the garden. In summer, the terrace opened under the flowers. In winter, guests dined by the fireplace.
For generations it was run by the same family: Micheline, Franck and Jean Bordier - Meilleur Ouvrier de France 1979. A family affair in the truest sense of the word.
On paper, the end came fast. The company L'AUBERGADE SA (589 701 697) was officially liquidated on 16/08/2024 and radiated on 11/09/2024. The rooms were emptied, the tables were cleared. For many years, this was an institution.
Not a starred restaurant. A celebration restaurant.
L'Aubergade was classified as restaurant gastronomique. It was not known for stars, but for something much rarer: unbeatable price/quality and celebrations. It scored 4.5/5 on Google with 235 reviews and 88/100 on Sluurpy.
People didn't come for a star. They came to celebrate, to marry, to gather. In the guestbooks they call it "une institution" and "magique pour mariage". With three salons - 50m², 120m² and 160m² it could receive from 20 to 180 guests. It was the wedding restaurant of the Yvelines.
The cuisine was classic, generous and precise, the cuisine of a MOF.
What does MOF mean?
MOF = Meilleur Ouvrier de France - Best Craftsman of France.
It is the highest and most prestigious title a craftsman can earn in France. Not just a diploma, but a title for life.
How it works:
Held every 3-4 years and organized by the French state, the competition is extremely demanding. You must create a masterpiece in your trade cuisine, pâtisserie, butchery, bakery, etc. in front of a jury of existing MOFs. The pass rate is very low, often only 10-15%.
If you win, you earn the right to wear the tricolore collar - blue-white-red on your chef's jacket for the rest of your career.
Why it matters for L'Aubergade:
Jean Bordier MOF 1979 means that in the kitchen of that old relais de poste in Villiers-Saint-Frédéric stood one of the best chefs in France.
That explains why they use the best materials in their kitchens . A MOF does not work with thin decorative copper. He demands the heaviest, best material. A MOF title in 1979 was a huge deal at that time there were only a few hundred MOFs in all of France.
That is why L'Aubergade could have such a reputation without a Michelin star. When you have a MOF in the kitchen, people don't come for the guide. They come for the technique.
Taken from old menus and guest books, these are the dishes that made L'Aubergade famous:
- Ravioles de Homard, Coulis de Crustacés - the most mentioned dish. Guests came back specifically for "le gratin de homard"
- Dos de Cabillaud, Écrasée de Pommes de Terre, Vinaigrette aux Condiments
- Papillote de Bar, Fondue de Poireaux et Concassée de Tomates
- Pièce de Boeuf au Porto, Gratin Dauphinois
- Carré d'Agneau au Pistou et Gratin Dauphinois
- Rognon de Veau Sauce Crème, Moutarde à l'Ancienne
- Profiteroles Cuites au Moment, Glace Vanille de Bourbon, Sauce Chocolat
No foam. No trends. Just perfectly executed French classics, made with serious technique and served in a place where three generations of the same family made you feel at home.
When the doors closed at Route du Pontel in August 2024, a piece of local patrimoine disappeared. Not a Michelin story, but a French story: a relais de poste that became a family, that became an institution.
L'Aubergade, 1933 - 2024.
Ancien Relais de Poste 1933 - L'Aubergade at 13 Route du Pontel - artist impression based on current building
Shout out to David and Joe P.
Without them, none of this would have been possible. Without them, these pans would never have been in the Netherlands and would never have traveled via the Netherlands to other parts of the world for a new life.
Merci pour tout, mes amis. Ça compte énormément pour moi, tout ce que vous avez fait et je ne l'oublierai jamais.
Add comment
Comments
Bravo. A Fantastic read Sir.