Jacques was the son of Andre Pic, a chef who worked at his family's restaurant Des Pins in the hills above Valence, Drôme.

The restaurant was moved into the town to become Maison Pic when Jacques was two years old, and won three Michelin stars by the time he was seven.

Jacques saw the impact the work was having on his father's health and decided that he did not want to become a chef, and instead aimed to become a car mechanic.

He instead travelled to Geneva, Switzerland, and to a variety of towns and cities in France, picking up culinary skills on the way.

[1] Upon returning to Maison Pic, he introduced an eight course tasting menu, becoming one of the first chefs in the nouvelle cuisine movement to expand upon the traditional three course meal.