“I am legitimate”: solo, Gaby Benicio keeps the starred restaurant Äponem, in Vailhan, open after the departure of Amélie Darvas

Gaby Benicio dit avoir été informée de la plainte déposée par Amélie Darvas par la presse. DR

Is the gourmet restaurant Äponem in turmoil ? No, insists Gaby Benicio who now holds the sole reins of the establishment created in Vailhan, in the premises of the old presbytery, in 2018. A starred establishment a year later and crowned in 2023 with the Michelin sommelier prize. Amélie Darvas, the chef, who left the premises, has just filed a complaint against her associate.

"I fell out of my chair when I learned that Amélie was filing a complaint against me, explains Gaby Benicio. As far as I learned from the press. I find that it’is not very delicate." Gaby Bénicio is now alone at the helm of the Äponem restaurant and inn in Vailhan. An establishment that she created in 2018 with her partner Amélie Darvas. Since last March, the team has been operating without a chef at the head of the team. And for the past few days, it's been an earthquake…

« I have no complaints”

In an article entitled “Why I am filing a criminal complaint after leaving the restaurant Äponem”, our colleagues at Figaro took stock of the situation. According to them, a complaint for "Abuse of weakness, forgery and use of forgery, abuse of corporate assets and failure to consult partners was filed on June 11 with the Béziers public prosecutor's office."

But, when contacted, the Béziers public prosecutor, Raphaël Balland, stated: "I have not received this complaint to date. Perhaps it is not yet registered, if it was truly sent." Since May 15, Amélie Darvas has been dismissed from her position as general manager of the SAS which manages Aponem. On the other hand, she kept her shareholder shares equal to Gaby Benicio. The question now arises of a starred restaurant without a chef. On this point, Gaby is clear.

Why Amélie Darvas filed a complaint against her associate ?

Contacted by telephone, Amélie Darvas's lawyers had to call back the editorial staff of Midi Libre during the day. They didn’t do it. Amélie Darvas explained to our colleagues at Le Figaro that she had left Äponem because "I was no longer in phase with the values ​​claimed by Gaby Benicio. I was working relentlessly and I no longer felt supported. I was ousted from our company and began to discover anomalies in management. I wanted to negotiate the conditions of my departure. No one ever answered me. The more time passed, the more anomalies I discovered. The team in place can reproduce my cuisine, I trained them. These are still the dishes I created that are still served at Äponem. Gaby attracts light but has no skills in it."

"I'm legit"

"I am legitimate in our kitchen and in my function",support Gaby Benicio. "I already ran our restaurant when we were in Paris. This lasted more than six months. It is very common to see sommeliers going into the kitchen. This is not something very serious because we work differently from others. Everyone is important here. We did not work around the ego of a leader but all together. This system was my life conviction and today more than ever. The cuisine of tomorrow is linked to well-being and delicacy. I believe in it enormously because humans must be at the center of everything", Gaby Benicio still insists.

Since 2022, a new working model has been implemented at the Äponem restaurant. Everyone had the same salary, was fed, housed and paid, and worked only three and a half days a week. A year after opening, in 2019, Amélie Darvas obtained a Michelin star. And in 2023 it was the consecration for Gaby Benicio who received the sommelier prize from this same guide.

"I want to explain"

"I'm only waiting for one thing, assures Gaby. I want to explain myself to the courts, but I don't know specifically what I'm being accused of. It was the journalist who told me. I did not know. I have nothing to hide. Nothing to fear. Amélie had access to all accounts. She saw everything. I’m really looking forward to shedding light on all of this to move forward. Our restaurant has never closed and this is my daily mission. Work, work again. Today, we are more united than ever and this is very important for the team and the customers of our establishment."

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