Arbore & Sens 1 Michelin star

Born on 26 October 1995, Clément Dumont spent his childhood in Chinon. His career began with an apprenticeship in Saumur in 2010. The chef then went on to work seasonal stints in Courchevel and Saint-Barthélemy. It was in the Caribbean that he first joined the circle of establishments affiliated with Relais & Châteaux. This proved to be a turning point, as Clément went on to work for three years in five-star establishments belonging to this renowned association in Corsica and Val-d’Isère. In 2017, he headed to Australia and spent a year as head chef on a private yacht: “A formative experience. We obviously had to catch the fish, so we had to manage the supply chain, monitor water management and decide which fish to catch and which to release.” In 2018, he returned to the Centre-Val de Loire region, where he spent two years as sous-chef atthe Auberge Pom’Poire in Azay-le-Rideau.

And on 16 July 2020, he opened his own restaurant, Arbore & Sens, in Loches. The very next year, he won the People’s Choice Award at the 2021 Fork Awards, before securing his first Michelin star in early 2023! Meanwhile, Clément Dumont and his sister-in-law, Mayliss, tend a one-hectare vegetable garden in Bridoré (a village 16 km from Loches), supplying the restaurant just as many local producers within a 40-km radius do, such as La cabane à plantes. The environmental and social commitment of the Arbore et Sens team has been recognised with the award of three Écotable toques: on their first attempt, they have reached the highest level, a feat achieved by only two other restaurants in the Centre-Val de Loire region.