Relay & Saint James Castles, at 10 minutes from Bordeaux : its flagship men of the moment…

Meeting and portrait ofAnthony Torkington (45 years), general manager of the four-star hotel and owner of the one-star Michelin restaurant on Saint James and Nicolas Magic (45 years), Michelin-starred chef at the same restaurant. Associates, accomplices, friends for the smooth running of the Saint James, in pleasure….

All the senses awake

Pleasure… But also, passion ... Requirement ... These are the words that immediately come to mind when seeing these two flagship men of the Saint James when they start talking about work.

Furthermore, the setting is conducive to relaxation. It puts all the senses on alert : tantalizing cooking smells, sharpness and purity of parts, discreet but sought-after decoration, softness of the materials, impeccable cuisine, breathtaking view, refined pool in a green landscape.

To better integrate with nature and Bouliac, Jean Nouvel was inspired by the old tobacco dryers. So, near the original farmhouse, did the architect imagine four pavilions modeled on these former kilns, recreating their rusty and raw appearance. A gallery connects these different pavilions, to facilitate circulation. But also to surprise : for example, when you look at the long window that overlooks the kitchen and allows you to observe the brigade in full swing. Bay windows overlooking the vineyards The four pavilions house fifteen rooms and three suites, spread over three levels. Their common point : they all have huge picture windows, which offer a unique view of the vineyards, the Garonne and Bordeaux.

The Saint James in Bouliac, a little history

This chic hotel-restaurant and fine cuisine (see menu and prices), located in Bouliac, small village in the heights of Bordeaux, remains extremely discreet in its facade. But he welcomed and welcomes personalities (Lelouch, Depardieu, Johnny Hallyday, Jacques Dutronc, Jean Reno, Christophe Lambert, European water ski champions and other celebrities), and many ordinary people wishing to have fun for an evening.

The establishment combines elegance, finesse and good taste : at the beginning, it’s Jean Nouvel who imagines it 1989. Avant-garde, the architect imagined the place like a cocoon of modernity in the heart of the vineyards and on the heights of Bordeaux.

This farmhouse 18th century transformed into hotel and restaurant welcomed the first chef, Jean-Marie Amat.

Jean Nouvel - Jean-Marie Amat

Both have given soul and life to this haven of peace., baptized Le Saint-James, like a nod to the eponymous street in the historic center of Bordeaux.

Four years later (in 1993), Jean-Claude Borgel buys the establishment. He keeps them 18 original rooms and keeps Jean-Marie Amat in charge of the gourmet restaurant.

Arrival of Michel Portos, Marie Borgel then Anthony Torkington

In 2002, Michel Portos, former chef of Troisgros in Roanne (currently based in Marseille, at the head of the brasserie-counter Le Malthazar), succeeds Jean-Marie Amat as head and director of the establishment.

In 2005, Jean-Claude Borgel is joined by his daughter Marie, who becomes CEO of Saint-James.

This architect-designed hotel is "an atypical hotel, on the margins of the codes, fashions, brief extraordinary and which sometimes requires an explanation, the story of his story. "As its director general points out, Anthony Torkington.

That said, the place is a luxurious place, it should not be denied, and not within reach of all budgets, far from it…

Anthony Torkington, the director of Saint-James

Currently, so this is Anthony Torkington, who is the general manager of this four star hotel and one Michelin star restaurant, the Saint James.

Frank and direct look, deep blue eyes and sounder, he is an open man, listening, whose family influenced their choice of catering. Then, happy circumstance contests, meetings and certain skills (former pupil of the great british and swiss schools, trained in all hotel trades, very comfortable for multicultural exchanges, (he speaks french, english and spanish) led him to occupy this position in Bouliac.

Originally from Edinburgh, this father of four has always been involved in catering.

Professional, recognized for its mastery of the International Luxury Hotel market, become a relay man & Castles since 15 years, Anthony Torkington "has always preferred small establishments where human qualities and the desire for high standards are essential. Maybe it's due to my English origins ? But above all I like to nurture simplicity and closeness in my relationship with others. Human relationships are very important to me. »

Cannes, Mougins, the Martinique, Bouliac…

Specific, rigorous, worker, demanding, not without humor, he wants to mark his customers, his visitors : "It doesn't matter what memory he keeps of their time with us : whether it's a smile, from the sight of a dish, it must remain etched in their memory forever and that in twenty years, they still remember. And if the memory is bad, let it be and let them know, I have to renew the same service for free under better conditions. I've already done it."

The Chef of the kitchen of St James, Nicolas Magic

Native of Bordeaux, raised by two generations of cooks, he stays on the right bank of the Garonne and takes over the kitchens of Saint-James in September 2012. Nicolas Magic (45 years now), star chef, succeeds Michel Portos. This former rugby player, at frank look, the rather good-looking appearance, graying hair cut short, a few days beard, think that cooking is, like rugby, a team affair, and gastronomy a story of sharing. "But by dint of tasting my dishes, my looks got a little impeded ! "Adds this chef. The price to pay for this Chef who does not let a dish go into the dining room without having taken a bite, to check the excellence. Born into a restaurant owner family, obvious for him to extend the line…

Maybe someday, a second star…

Generous, impatient (according to him), he seems to be a man who knows what he wants, while knowing how to listen and understand. Anyway, that's what it gives off ...

He hopes to find a second star, thanks to a kitchen, which "is not a routine and which must arouse emotions.. " His products, he wants them fresh. His kitchen, local and inspired but amazing, plays on acidity and bitterness ...

Its means and its goals : terroir, the farmers market, the garden wine, his cooking emotions and the quest for the second star ("It is an emulation tool and it would be a recognition for the team, a goal to reach together. »)

Nicolas Magie found himself alongside chefs who are a reference —Michel Gautier, Michel Carrère, Denis Franc, Christian Constant…- and in prestigious houses - the Chamade and the Pavillon des Boulevards in Bordeaux, the Miramar in Biarritz, the Crillon in Paris, to the kitchens of his own restaurant, The Cape at Cenon. This is where he gets his first star in 2004.

The key to good food: local producers

One of the best times of the day is the morning arrivals, prepared by "his" local producers, "About sixty producers and breeders, I work with, who dictate the restaurant menu. So the daily menu changes every week. My life as a Chef makes me choose exceptional products, meet talented producers, imagine dishes made from original and unexpected combinations. The only goal of this process is the pleasure that I like to give. »

The Saint James, it is also…

A company with projects to develop : exceptional evenings where food and wine are revisited 4 times a year.

A cooking school, open every day to everyone, young and old.

A wine : originally, the Saint-James vineyard was sixteen ares. It was inaugurated by the sculptor César ! Today & rsquo; today, the vineyard extends over 12 ares (890 feet) of merlot, who produce the “Vin du Jardin” each year, the 2^th smallest vineyard in the Bordeaux region in AOC after that of the airport.

The harvest is carried out in a very friendly way by the hotel staff and some customers. The clusters, hand picked, are then sorted in front of the neighboring mini-cellar. Producing annually 450 at 800 bottles, the “Vin du Jardin” is vinified by Stéphane Derenoncourt, renowned winemaker-consultant.

Since 2016, home cooking in private homes and in castles.

An art gallery, (painters, sculptors, photographers… ) whose selection is based on the osmosis that can be created between their works or the theme of their exhibition and the spirit of Saint James.

And every quarter, a farmers market at St James restaurant, who come to present their products to the public.

Without forgetting Gin and Tonic his two Cameroon sheep and some homemade honey thanks to their hive.

Valérie Doulevant

 

 

 

THE SAINT-JAMES BOULIAC, RELAY MEMBER & CASTLES FROM 1978
3 place Camille Hostein
33270 Bouliac France

12 people for 60 Covered

Price of the meal ranging from 47 euros to 155 euros excluding drinks.

SAINT-JAMES BOULIAC, HOTEL

15 bedrooms : 175-410 EUR s.c.
3 suites : 300-695 EUR s.c.

Annex of Saint James, a second restaurant in the village : the Café de l'Espérance average ticket at 35 €, kitchen is supervised by Nicolas Magie