Roland Mazère was born on May 5, 1946 in Vézac in the Dordogne Valley between Sarlat and Beynac. His father died when he was five, and his mother set up in business at L'Hotel de la Poste in Les Ezies. It was here in this bar-restaurant-tobacco shop that he grew up, where both his roots and his future were formed.

It is said in the region that Madame Mazère was an archetype of the women of the "Black Perigord." She is still well-remembered and respected. As an innkeeper next to the railroad tracks, at the foot of the Dordogne, she knew how to attract clients. They came from all over to enjoy her cooking. Even Josephine Baker was known to drop by to savour Madame Mazère's duck confit.

To truly oversee a restaurant, one has to be in the kitchen. Mazère is an autodidact who learned on the job. Throughout his school years at Périgueux, he would return every weekend to help his mother and so his cooking apprenticeship was done bit by bit, in between books. He also became acquainted with the excellent women cooks of the region, and from them learned how to bring out the best from the products of this "terroir."

Transforming the family house, he opened Le Centenaire in 1964, a century after the discovery of the first prehistoric deposit in this quiet little village. Naming it "Le Centenaire" was his way of honouring this exceptional event. This was a era of change, set in motion by the Gault-Millau guide that spurred chefs to excel and to move beyond the constraints of tradition and regionalism… in other words, to fly on their own wings and create a uniquely personal cuisine.

In 1973, the restaurant won its first Michelin star. With his wife Nicole, Mazère decided to celebrate the event at the Troisgros brothers' restaurant. He opened the Michelin guide to point out his establishment and Jean, who had seen a good many chefs pass through his kitchen, said to him kindly as he looked over the menu, "Use it to make some changes to your tournedos!" Roland Mazère says, "A kind of 'tilt' occurred in my head. I knew that I had to move forward in my profession and I asked him if I could come to his restaurant in the winter to spend a few weeks. The next spring, I was determined to revolutionize all cooking." After Troisgros, there were winter interludes with Manière, Loiseau, Sanderens…

When Roland Mazère achieved his second star in 1981, he felt as if he had been launched into a new dimension. It meant acclaim and recognition, but it also represented the hard work spent in the kitchen in order to be constantly moving ahead, to know how to surprise, charm and delight without every disappointing.

In 1983 it was announced that Le Centenaire had become a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux chain. "That was our third star," he adds proudly.

Awarded the Legion of Honor in 2001, Mazère never lets fame go to his head. "In my opinion you can never take anything for granted."