the strong words of Yannick Alléno, the emotion of his loved ones

All were gathered this Friday afternoon in Poissy to pay a final tribute to Antoine Alléno. The son of multi-starred chef Yannick Alléno tragically died on Sunday evening after being hit by a driver while he was on two wheels. The 24-year-old cook had just been placed at the head of the “Burger Père et Fils” establishment, launched last year with his father.

Many personalities from the gastronomic world were gathered. Alain Ducasse, Guy Savoy, Jean-François Piège and even Marc Veyrat were photographed. Pastry chef Christophe Michalak and Babette de Rozières were also present. First Lady Brigitte Macron was spotted, as well as Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire.

Yannick Alléno gave an extremely strong speech. “If one day I had thought of the worst nightmare, it wouldn’t have been this one (…) Let’s hope that it didn’t happen for nothing and that Antoine will be at the origin of the change, and that he will encourage this society to react against those who rot life, who have destroyed his life, who have destroyed my life, that of Isabelle (Editor’s note his mother), that of Thomas (Editor’s note: his brother), that of all our family. Today we are going to celebrate Antoine, my Antoine, your Antoine, our love”, he first explained, very moved. “Antoine is an extraordinary boy, Antoine was beauty, it was gentleness, it was intelligence (…) Antoine was the courage of a boy who wanted to exist by himself, who didn’t want his name to open doors for him, even in our profession. He had succeeded, so well. Antoine was happy, he had managed to be Antoine, and not Yannick’s son,” he added, recalling how “unacceptable” his son’s tragic death was. “It is the shattered, massacred destiny of a young Frenchman who loved his country and wanted to succeed with very large and generous ambitions. It’s important for me that you are here, Madame (turning to Brigitte Macron), all of you, for him, my most beautiful star, for my Antoine, to salute the demands of a model of life that should be everyone’s,” he concluded.

Anja, Antoine’s companion for 6 years, “his soul mate” as Yannick Alléno said, who stood by her, comforting her throughout the mass, also spoke, after having read a love letter she had sent him two years ago: “I love you even more than yesterday, what a crazy story we had, you and me, love with a capital A like Antoine and Anja. Thank you for the love that you carried in you, thank you for having sunny our lives, you will remain present in my heart, goodbye, just goodbye, because I know that we will meet again.

Earlier in the day, Yannick Alléno had already paid a poignant tribute on his Instagram account. “My little angel !! Today you will enter eternity! We have chosen your mother and I this beautiful house which has had the opportunity many times to see you pass by! It opens its doors to you this afternoon! You have never done anything like the others! You came into the world on July 4, an American national holiday and left on May 8, Liberation Day. You are going to have a goodbye worthy of a prince worthy of you! My child, at 24 you have already done so many things…”, can we read.