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André Gayot (3 October 1929 – 5 October 2019) was a French journalist. After a career in journalism he moved into culinary criticism and produced restaurant guidebooks known as the "Gayot Guides."


Career


Journalist

Gayot started his career in 1949 at the ORTF, producing a program for a young audience while pursuing his studies. Gayot became a political columnist in 1957, working for the daily newspaper ''La Liberté du Massif Central'' and as an editor for ''
Paris-Presse ''Paris-Presse'' was a French newspaper published in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in ...
.'' He joined the weekly magazine '' Jours de France'' in 1958.


Work in Africa, The Americas, and Asia

In 1960, Gayot was appointed director of information of
Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
, where he created the information services and the daily ''Le Temps du Niger''. After founding the daily ''Le Courrier de Madagascar'' in
Antananarivo Antananarivo (Malagasy language, Malagasy: ; French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known ...
in 1962, he directed it until 1967. That same year, Gayot created the weekly ''France Antilles Spécial Dimanche'' while living in
Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
. In 1968, he was in
Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
,
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
, leading the creation of the newspaper ''Le Soleil'' and of ''Les Nouvelles Imprimeries du Sénégal'', which paved the way to the plurality and opening of information in French West Africa. Gayot was active in Canada, where he renewed and relaunched the world's oldest French-language daily newspaper, ''L'Evangéline''. He brought his expertise to the local press in Vietnam, Egypt, Mauretania, Zaïre (Republic of Congo), Burundi, and Iran.


Culinary guides

In 1969, with his friends Henri Gault and
Christian Millau Christian Dubois-Millot, pen name Christian Millau (, 30 December 1928 – 5 August 2017), was a French food critic and author. Born in Paris, he began his career as a journalist in the "interior policy" department of ''Le Monde'' newspaper. In 1 ...
, Gayot created the monthly magazine ''Le Nouveau Guide'', which went against the culinary traditions of the time by promoting artistically prepared food, new cooking techniques, and fresh ingredients. The three also founded the ''
Gault Millau Gault et Millau () is a French restaurant guide. It was founded by two restaurant critics, Henri Gault and Christian Millau in 1965. Points system Gault Millau rates restaurants on a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being the highest. Restaurants given ...
'' guide, and coined and promoted the term '' nouvelle cuisine''. In the 1980s and 1990s, Gayot published a series of restaurant guidebooks in the U.S., known as the Gault-Millau name or ''Gayot Guides''. The guidebooks rated and highlighted restaurants deemed to be among the best in their region, with reviews discussing ''décor'', service, ambiance, and wine lists, with an emphasis on French cuisine. After 2000, his guides were published exclusively under the name Gayot, following a disagreement with the new owners of the French Gault-Millau guides. In 1983, Gayot founded the monthly magazine ''Prévention Santé'' in Paris'','' in conjunction with
Rodale, Inc. Rodale, Inc. (), was an American publisher of health and wellness magazines, books, and digital properties headquartered in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, with a satellite office in New York City. The company was founded in 1930. In 2017, it was acquired ...
in
Emmaus, Pennsylvania Emmaus ( ) is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 11,652. Emmaus is located in the Lehigh Valley, the third-largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and 68th-largest metrop ...
, United States. With his son Alain and daughter Sophie, he launched the websit
gayot.com
devoted to
gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between Human food, food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well ver ...
, tourism, and lifestyle.


Recognition

On 7 May 1979,
Léopold Sédar Senghor Léopold Sédar Senghor ( , , ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese politician, cultural theorist and poet who served as the first president of Senegal from 1960 to 1980. Ideologically an African socialist, Senghor was one ...
, President of the Republic of Senegal, presented Gayot with the distinction of Knight of the Legion of Honour, in his name and that of the President of the French Republic
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, ; ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as simply Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Ministry of the Economy ...
, in the presence of
Michel Debré Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was the first Prime Minister of the French Fifth Republic. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France. He served under President Charles de Gaulle from 1959 ...
, former French prime minister, for his humanitarian and cultural actions for Africa. On 27 April 2005, Jean-David Levitte, the Ambassador of France in Washington, D.C., awarded Gayot the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honour ''"for exceptional services rendered to the freedom of press and promotion of the friendship between nations".'' Gayot was an officer in the
National Order of the Lion The National Order of the Lion () is the highest order of Senegal. The order was instituted by Law 60-36 of 22 October 1960 and was awarded to His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I The FIRST as The Grand Cross of The National Order of the Lion ...
of Senegal, the national
Order of the Niger The Order of the Niger (OON) is the second highest Award, national award in Nigeria. It was instituted in 1963 and is junior to the Order of the Federal Republic, the highest order of merit in the country. Award The two highest honours, the Gr ...
, and the Order of Comoros.


Death

Gayot died in Paris on 5 October 2019, two days after his 90th birthday.


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gayot, Andre 1929 births 2019 deaths French food writers Officers of the Legion of Honour Place of birth missing French restaurant critics French male non-fiction writers Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Senegal