Clément Masson: the journey of a sous-chef in search of meaning
Originally from the Vercors region of France, Clément Masson grew up in a family steeped in gastronomy: his father was a chef and his grandmother a restaurateur. So it was only natural that the desire to enter the kitchen followed him from childhood. It was during an internship at Alain Ducasse’s Louis XV that he crossed paths with Freddy Garanjoud. This was his first collaboration, before moving on to Régis and Jacques Marcon, where he developed his taste for herbs and vegetal cuisine. A few years later, Freddy contacted him again to open his new restaurant in Geneva: Matière. Clément accepted without hesitation, arriving in April 2023 to take up the position of sous-chef.
Culinary creativity
The opportunity is ideal: a new project, a new town and, above all, a different way of doing business. After the hierarchical brigades of the big houses, Clément discovered the richness of a small structure. “When you’re small, you cook more, and more varied. You get to touch everything, and for someone with a passion for cooking, that’s a real pleasure,” he confides. Working with Freddy has also helped him develop his creative side. In Michelin-starred restaurants, you reproduce, whereas here, he can invent. A difficult exercise at first, but one he loves today.
At Matière, the menu is created by several people, and each dish is based on a seasonal product. Ideas are exchanged and refined together. There’s no fixed hierarchy, just a close-knit team where every voice counts. The strong point of the Clément-Freddy duo is their shared past. They know each other, they know they share the same vision and the same way of working, which makes their collaboration natural. This complicity is the foundation on which they have built Matière.
Plant passion
When it comes to cooking, Clément is passionate about plants. He sees in it an infinite freedom, a playground where he can create dishes that make you forget the absence of animal proteins. He also likes to pick the herbs he cooks himself, as he used to do at Marcon’s. “Serving produce that you’ve harvested yourself is a complete and very rewarding process,” he explains.
Today, Clément knows where he wants to go: constantly evolve, never stagnate and create dishes he loves, without ever forcing himself to work with a product that doesn’t inspire him. The whole team has been there since the opening, supported by a great atmosphere, with no unnecessary pressure. Their objectives are clear: to please themselves and their customers, because in the end, that’s why they’re all in this business.
