Chef Patrick Alléguède's life-long devotion to cooking began during his childhood in Southwest France, helping his mother with her baking, and later, working with pates in his uncle's charcuterie.He received formal training at the École Hotelière des Pyrénées where he perfected his professional skills and obtained his culinary degrees. At the age of twenty, he was awarded the prestigious National Grand Prix du Desserts. He apprenticed in the kitchens of some of France's most celebrated hotels and resorts, including the Hotel du Palais (Biarritz), Le Mont d'Arbois (Megeve), Hotel Royal (Evian) and the famed Hotel de Crillon and Le Méridien, in Paris. more... See more text