YVES THURIES

Born in 1938 in the Tarn region of France, Yves Thuriès started out as a chocolatier in a family bakery. His love of and curiosity about gastronomy led him to leave his village at the age of 14 to learn the trade of pastry chef, chocolatier and cook. After completing his apprenticeship, his expertise and love of chocolate enabled him to make a name for himself in the field of desserts and chocolate. As a master chef, Yves Thuriès' creations were highly acclaimed and won him numerous awards in France and beyond. In 1976, he won the highly prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France award in the pastry-chocolate and ice-cream-catering categories. Thanks to his expertise and love of chocolate, he became a member of the Académie Française du Chocolat and the Académie Culinaire de France.
He moved to Cordes sur Ciel in 1979 and took over a former residence, "Le Grand Ecuyer", which was awarded a Michelin star for more than 25 years thanks to the desserts and chocolate it served. He was also behind the creation of the Musée du Sucre et du Chocolat (Sugar and Chocolate Museum), an area of chocolate appreciated by all who visit it. He was awarded the Leader of Innovation prize in 2001 for his "Chocolat Macaron".