Jonathan Robinson

Owner

Jonathan was born in Chicago, Illinois. He went on to study at the University of California at Berkeley where he received three degrees in Painting: a Bachelor, a Master and a Master of Fine Arts (the highest degree attainable in the arts). While working on his Master’s degree, he received a grant which allowed him to live in Berlin for two years and study painting in european museums.

Jonathan’s food and cooking experience goes back to his Berkeley days, where he was a member of the Berkeley Food Conspiracy. For three years, he worked as a cook at the Swallow Restaurant Collective started by Ruth Reichl, editor of Gourmet Magazine.

In 1984, Jonathan received a prestigious studio grant at Cité Internationale des Arts and moved to Paris. In 1985, he returned to Germany and worked in an artist group for two years. His work has been shown in major galleries all over Europe and the USA. He has taught in The Free Art School of Bremen Vegsagt, The Art Institute of San Francisco, Parsons School of Design in Paris and The Ecole des Beaux Arts in Angers, France.

In 1991,  Jonathan bought a authentic 19th century water mill in Linières Bouton in the Loire Valley. Using the work of local artisans, he has painstakingly restored the mill in harmony with French rural architecture and culture.

Pascal Merrillou

Resident Chef

Pascal Merillou grew up in Périgord, a region of France famous for its cuisine, especially the foie gras and confit de canard. He later trained as a chef at Bordeaux. In 1985, Pascal met Jonathan while he was working in Paris and joined Moulin Brégeon as the resident chef. The natural beauty and harmony he found in Linières Bouton inspired Pascal’s interest organic agriculture. Today, he creates gourmet French meals with fresh, in season vegetables he cultivates in the Moulin Brégeon gardens.

Bernard Levenez

Business and Event Manager

Bernard Levenez is from Brittany in northern France. Growing up, he  learned l’art de la table working alongside his mother at her restaurant Chez Marie-Anne. Bernard was living and working in Angers when he met Jonathan and Pascal at a jazz concert. Depending on the day, Bernard is the resident travel agent, event planner, tour guide, shopping partner or French teacher. Your stay at Moulin Brégeon isn’t complete until you’ve tasted Bernard’s homemade confitures and his speciality, the Apple Far Breton.