Chef Archibald de Prince has one enduring passion in life: cooking. A passion that he has pursued with great focus and determination and that has led this talented chef down a career path to culinary excellence and his own restaurant.
Archibald de Prince was just 13 when he told his parents that he wanted to be a chef. “They didn’t know anything about the profession and wanted me to have a ‘normal’ job,” he smiles. But even at the young age of 13, Archibald knew his own mind, and set about persuading his parents to let him attend the hotel school in Namur. They agreed, but on one condition: “If this is what you’re set on doing, then make sure you do it well.” Archibald graduated in 2013 and won the cooking award.
Archibald is full of praise of the excellent standard of training he received in Namur and how well it prepared him for his future career: “I wasn’t just trained to be a chef, but also in all the tasks of a hotelier and restauranteur.” It therefore comes as no surprise that Archibald de Prince is now at the helm of such a successful hotel and restaurant. But let’s go back to where it all began…
One big dream: to become a chef like Paul Bocuse
… to Namur, and Archibald’s dream of becoming a chef like Paul Bocuse. “He was my absolute idol,” says Archibald. When he was 18, his parents took him to dinner at Bocuse’s restaurant in Lyon. “I got to chat with Chef Bocuse, and was then even more determined to continue on my chosen path,” he enthuses.
So, when he heard about the culinary courses at Institut Paul Bocuse [Editor’s note: Institut Lyfe today], he decided to enrol. “I did a three-week course, followed by two immense months working alongside chef Alain Le Cossec in the institute’s training restaurant.”
After completing his training, Archibald stayed in France and took up his first professional post, as a commis de cuisine in hotel Domaine Terre Blanche, alongside Michelin-starred chef Yannick Franques. Here, he was part of a huge team of 55 chefs. “Everyone had their own little space to work in and the hours were long. It definitely stood me in good stead for my career,” he says.
But when you’re young and ambitious, it’s vital to gain experience and take on new challenges. So when Chef Franques asked him to go with him to La Réserve de Beaulieu (also in the south of France), he agreed. Archibald spent two and a half years here, honing his skills and knowledge in cooking and in meat and fish and perfecting the art of keeping up with almost 70 covers per service! “In a five-star hotel, the work is intense, but we were all there because we loved it, and all pushed each other to improve,” says Archibald. When he looks back on his time here, he talks of the need for discipline and excellence, but also of the friendly and supportive working environment and his “great group of friends.”
Eight years at the side of plant-based chef René Mathieu
But the desire to return closer to home — “and love…” – meant a move to Luxembourg. Word of mouth was all it took for him to quickly secure a position as a chef in the Grand Duchy, first at Brasserie Mansfeld, then at Brasserie du Théâtre. Having up until then worked exclusively in gourmet restaurants, Archibald took these posts as an opportunity to take on more responsibility. And so, at the tender age of 23, he became head chef, with nine people under him.
The experience would prove highly valuable when his ambition of working in a Michelin-starred restaurant led him to take the plunge and apply for a sous-chef position with Château de Bourglinster’s fine-dining restaurant La Distillerie. “I was taken on without even meeting the chef, René Mathieu,” he confides. “I had six months to prove myself.” It was a daunting time, but Archibald clearly lived up to the challenge, as he remained at La Distillerie for eight years. “I loved my time there. It was incredible! I learnt so much, in particular about plant-based cuisine,” he says. Mutual respect and hard work are two things that Archibald often talks about when he recalls his time at Château de Bourglinster: “I put blood, sweat and tears into that restaurant, as if it were my own. Chef Mathieu saw that and knew that he could count on me.” A dynamic duo of a team that enabled them to go 100% plant-based, achieve a Michelin Green Star and twice be named best plant-based restaurant in the world. But Archibald de Prince was hungry for more…
The Bocuse d’Or adventure
Archibald de Prince’s long-held dream of becoming a chef like Paul Bocuse spurred him to ask Chef Mathieu for permission for leave to participate in the biggest international culinary competition in the world: the Bocuse d’Or.
He applied for a place in the Belgian team and spent months preparing for the event: “I had to go to Belgium to train for it. It’s something you have to be able to devote a great deal of time to. I was very fortunate that Chef Mathieu was so supportive.”
On his first attempt, Archibald finished in second place. It was at his second attempt that he took first place in the Belgian national team. The team travelled to Norway to represent Belgium alongside the other competing European teams. Unfortunately, the Belgian team did not make it to the finals, but Archibald loved every minute of the experience. “We were extremely disappointed, to say the least, but the standard was incredibly high, so we’ve every reason to be proud of ourselves,” he says.
Since last November, the chef has been focusing all his energy and attention on an “amazing” new adventure, as he describes it, a huge smile on his face.
The new ‘Archibald de Prince’ adventure
When Archibald was younger and imagined his future restaurant, he always imagined a restaurant in the heart of the city. “But after all those years working alongside René Mathieu in Bourglinster, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere without nature on my doorstep,” he confesses.
A visit to Echternach with his wife Rachel, who looks after front of house, the wine cellar and the administrative side of things, sealed the deal. “We fell in love instantly. The building was beautiful and there was plenty of outdoor space, perfect for our family, with streams and the Mullerthal forest just a stone’s throw away.” The chef is very aware of his environmental footprint as a restauranteur. He has therefore undertaken work to make the building energy efficient. “I’ve installed solar and thermal panels and an electric turbine that will enable us to be 95% self-sufficient,” he says. What’s more, the husband and wife team treat and filter their own water, which comes directly from two underground springs in the region.
After purchasing the property, the young couple began to delve into its history, which they were keen to pay homage to in their venture. “There was a campsite here in the ’60s, then a boarding house, then a hotel and restaurant,” reveals the chef. “And now we’re here —a brand new chapter.” During his research, the chef discovered that there used to be a trout farm here, and so decided to put trout back on the menu in a nod to this. Of course, it goes without saying that Archibald also forages for ingredients for his dishes in the local area. In addition to local and seasonal produce, you’ll also find Belgian trout, caviar and beer on this native Belgian chef’s menu.
An exceptional guest experience
The restaurant’s décor is refined and minimalist, with eight tables in the main dining room and a private room, for a maximum of 27 covers. “We want to look after our guests and ensure they have an extra special evening. It’s the least we can do with a single set menu at 145 euros,” he remarks. “We work tirelessly in the kitchen every day to wow our guests. All they need to do is sit back, relax and enjoy!”
Archibald de Prince’s decision to offer one set menu was a very conscious one, based on past experience. “When you go plant-based, you need to organise your kitchen optimally for the efficient prepping of stations and ingredients,” he explains. “I wanted to keep the kitchen organised this way to make life easier for the chefs and to create the best possible quality dishes.” There’s also an environmental reason behind his decision: “Less prepping, less waste, less stock, less plastic are all very important to me.”
In the dining room, the open kitchen invites diners to watch the chefs at work. The restaurant’s two sous-chefs also come out to see guests at their table and present their dishes. “It’s my name above the door and I check every plate that comes out, but I think it’s important that the people who’ve prepared the food have their moment too and are recognised for their work.”
At Archibald de Prince, you’ll find a hard-working and disciplined, kind and caring chef still very much driven by his passion for cooking. Fifteen years on, it’s fair to say that Archibald de Prince’s parents were right to support his career choice. And that Archibald de Prince was right to pursue his dream. As his remarkable restaurant in Echternach so rightly proves.
