Olivier Bellin, France

Bellin's grandmother ran a restaurant that served fare from their family farm. Bellin was infatuated with the cooking process and energy of a kitchen at an extremely young age, and he learned hearty traditional dishes as a foundation for his creativity. He decided to leave home to pursue an apprenticeship when the time came. He ended up cooking his way through Paris and opening a few places before he decided to pack it in and return home to his family restaurant. He began cooking there once more in 1998, and by 2004, he earned his first Michelin star.