In the world of haute cuisine, one belief still rules the roost: to become a top chef, you have to go through the wringer. This unwritten law justifies moral and sometimes even physical violence, along with humiliation of all kinds. For years, it was believed that this was the price of excellence. We investigated behind the scenes of Michelin-starred restaurants, a cutthroat world where anything goes. In front of our cameras, young chefs determined to put their foot down on these abuses, have agreed to speak out. With the participation of François Berner, Franck Pelux, and Franck Giovanni.

Filming Locations
Lausanne (Lausanne Palace, Franck Peloux's two-star Michelin restaurant).
Paris (National Assembly, symposium on violence in professional kitchens).
Le Noirmont, Jura (Maison Vanguard, release of the 2026 Gault&Millau Guide).
Le Locle, Neuchâtel, Montreux, Fribourg, Vevey.

Key Participants
Franck Peloux, two-star Michelin chef at the Lausanne Palace.
Nora Guazzini, journalist, author of a four-year investigation into violence in professional kitchens.
François Bernard, owner of the La Croisette restaurant in Le Locle.
Jacques Frédéric Sigler, director of the Montreux vocational school.

Key Issues
Systematic physical, psychological, and sexist violence in the brigades of Michelin-starred restaurants, particularly against underage apprentices.
Omerta and the normalization of abuse in haute gastronomie, featuring illegal working hours, addiction, and a lack of sanctions.
The emergence of a new generation of chefs who are deconstructing the traditional model and offering alternatives.

Key Figures
An average of 12-hour workdays in restaurant brigades.
One-third of the testimonies of violence in Nora Guazzini's investigation implicate a Michelin-starred restaurant.
6% of proven cases of violence resulted in sanctions.
One in three apprentices does not complete their training as a cook.

Quotes
Stéphane: "One day, someone whispered in my ear: 'You're useless, you're a piece of shit, you'd be better off committing suicide.'"
Nora Guazzini: "What is the advantage of a machine? It doesn't drink, it doesn't eat, it doesn't go to the bathroom, it doesn't complain, and it doesn't feel pain."