Claude Lebey (20 November 1923 – 10 January 2017) was a French food critic and the author of Guide Lebey.

Claude Lebey
Born	(1923-11-20)20 November 1923
Died	10 January 2017(2017-01-10) (aged 93) Provence, France
Occupation	Food critic

Early life

Claude Lebey was born on 20 November 1923.[1][2][3]

Career

Lebey began his career in the textile industry,[1] where he became a chief executive.[4] He later became a culinary critic for L'Express, followed by Gault Millau.[1] He was also the editor of cookbooks.[1] For example, he edited Michel Guérard's cookbook.[1][2] In 1987, he began publishing the annual Guide Lebey des Restaurants de Paris and the Lebey des Bistrots de Paris et sa banlieue.[1] He sold the Lebey brand to Gérald de Roquemaurel et Pierre-Yves Chupin in 2011.[2] A year later, he published his memoir.[5]

Lebey was the founder of the Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat, a non-profit organization for "chocolate biters", in 1981.[6] With Jacques Pessis, he was the co-founder of the Association de sauvegarde de l'oeuf mayonnaise (ASOM), a non-profit organization for the defense of egg mayonnaise, in 1990.[7][8] He was also the founder of Les Amis des bistrots parisiens and Le Club des amateurs de cigares de Havane.[1][4]

Lebey ate in restaurants 300 times a year.[1][3]

Death

Lebey died on 10 January 2017 in Provence, at the age of 93.[1][2][3] Upon his death, chef Yannick Alléno called him "a visionary".[1]

Selected works

• Lebey, Claude (1987). Le petit Lebey des bistrots parisiens. Paris: Albin Michel.
• Lebey, Claude (1987). Guide Lebey des restaurants de Paris. Paris: Albin Michel.
• Lebey, Claude. L'Inventaire du patrimoine culinaire de la France. Vol. 1–20. Paris: Albin Michel.
• Lebey, Claude (2012). À table! : La vie intrépide d'un gourmet redoutable. Paris: Albin Michel. ISBN 9782226240187. OCLC 793946280.

References