Mathew Hegarty

The Path

At Le P'tit Polyte in Les Deux Alpes, the first years as second (2012–2015) were a working apprenticeship in precision, rhythm, and restraint. The altitude may shape the room, but the discipline comes from repetition: learning how to hold pace, keep standards tight, and do the unglamorous work that makes a service stable. When Mathew Hegarty became chef of Le P'tit Polyte in 2015, the role changed, but the brief did not: maintain the house, keep the line clean, and carry forward an identity already established in Les Deux Alpes.

The Work Today

The kitchen in Les Deux Alpes runs on exactness rather than ornament. Hegarty’s language is practical and unsentimental, which is often a reliable sign of how the pass is managed: cut what does not belong, control the heat, and let technique do the heavy lifting. On octopus, he puts it plainly: “Take the octopus. I remove the rubbery part and I cook it sous vide at 67°C. That gives it an almost sweet taste.” The method is built around texture and temperature, with the aim of reducing resistance in the bite and keeping the flavor clean. That same approach carries through the day-to-day work of the kitchen. The emphasis is on repetition done properly, on sharpening judgment through service, and on staying honest about what each plate needs. Hegarty’s standard is less about display than about correction: each service offers another pass at the same problem, and the craft lies in making those adjustments without noise. Precision is the tool, and consistency is the measure.

In Their Words “We do not work for that; we work for our customers, for our profession, to try to do better and better all the time.” “Take the octopus. I remove the rubbery part and I cook it sous vide at 67°C. That gives it an almost sweet taste.”