Christophe Gregoire at his former restaurant Le Tres Bon, in Bungendore. Photo: Supplied.
It is always nice to think that in a country town, when one door closes, another opens. Yet since Josephine and Christophe Gregoire closed the doors of their French restaurant Le Tres Bon in Bungendore on 27 August 2023, after 16 years, the doors have remained firmly shut.
The loss of such an integral part of the community had Bungendore reeling. There was barely a celebration, romance, first date or proposal in the town that didn’t happen behind the unassuming white door of Le Tres Bon. Its cosy farmhouse bistro atmosphere was a perennial favourite of locals and Canberrans alike.
“We were fortunate to have many loyal diners in our area. It might be hard to believe, but we often reflect on our people, the hugs, the laughter around the table, and the extra drinks we shared. We were truly in the people business, and building connections was at the heart of what we did. Many of our clients knew our daughters by name, watched them grow up, and were part of both our struggles and our successes,” Josephine tells About Regional.
Nearing retirement age, it was easy to think when the restaurant went on the market that Christophe and Josephine were ready to hang up their hats and have a little downtime. Yet the past year has proven that they have no plans to slow down.
Bungendore’s popular French restaurant, Le Tres Bon while it was still in action. Photo: Supplied.
“There’s a misconception that we’ve retired, but that’s not quite the case. We’re still actively seeking new ways to work that align with our passions and experiences, always with a focus on bringing people together, through tours, classes and special events. So, while we haven’t had much downtime, we’re open to opportunities that come our way. It’s safe to say that we’re still figuring out the best path forward. What matters most is that we keep moving ahead, finding ways to bring everyone along with us, even if it’s not through the restaurant.”
Finding a new home for themselves away from the kitchen and on the internet, the dynamic restaurant duo have found themselves having to embrace new technologies. Their website has become a hub for all things post Le Tres Bon, where you’ll find a wide selection of Australian and international food-based tours along with live interactive cooking classes and innovative new initiatives like their first ever live stream from France, where they’ll step away from their tour group to take a moment to present a live cooking demonstration at Kaysersberg in Alsace.
“First, we had to embrace the online world, being children of the 60s, online formats don’t come easily to us. With daughters in their 20s, we were determined to master this new world and not appear out of our depth, even though we often feel like we’re just pretending to know what we’re doing. Our clients have been impressed by our ability to navigate the online world, and it seems to inspire them to embrace it too. We’ve received wonderful feedback from clients saying how much they enjoy our classes, with comments like, ‘I’m surprised it works — the online cooking class is fantastic, we learn so much together,'” Josephine enthuses.
The pair were well known for running food-based tours when Le Tres Bon was still operating. With more time on their hands now, this program has been expanded to include a broader range of destinations and experiences and they even have appearances of some famous faces.
“We’ve created our ‘France in Australia’ gourmet experience, where we explore the French influence in the Yarra Valley with renowned winemakers like Chandon and Dominique Portet. Our good friend and celebrity chef Gabriel Gate joins us, adding his fun and flair to the experience. We also have a great time playing petanque and enjoying a cabaret show by Nikki Nouveau, who used to perform at our restaurant in Bungendore.
“Our tours go beyond cookie-cutter experiences. We believe that the places we share with others should be an extension of ourselves. For us, travel should be transformative, not just a change of scenery. The purpose of moving beyond your home is to learn something new and to listen to the stories of others,” Christophe explains.
Christophe Gregoire receiving one of the oldest awards in the French Republic – the National Order of Agricultural Merit. Photo: Christophe Gregoire.
For a couple so used to spending their lives in a restaurant, it’s no surprise that live streams, online classes and world travel isn’t enough and they also run a truffle farm.
“Our truffle farm was established in 2007, so it’s not a new venture for us. We prepared the land, planted the trees, and nurtured them through droughts and bushfires. Now, we’re proud to have a thriving truffle farm that brings us immense joy. This year, our new border collie puppy, Largo, has been trained to find truffles and adds even more fun to the truffle farm experience,” says Christophe.
The truffles are another way for Christophe and Josephine to stay connected to the restaurant community that they were so embedded in for so many years; they pride themselves in selling their Bungendore truffles across Australia.
“As a chef, I love to share and sell my truffles to other chefs and engage in detail about how to make the most of them. In Canberra, I’m proud to supply my truffles to the award-winning French restaurant Les Bistronomes, where Chef Clement values my truffle delivery days, always ending up in a convivial and lively conversation about truffles, in French of course. I also send truffles to chefs in Queensland and Victoria. Building these connections and trust with fellow chefs comes naturally to me, after all, I can speak the ‘chef’ language,” explains Christophe.
To explore and participate in Christophe and Josephine’s busy schedule of tours, classes and live streams, head to their website.
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