LThe ancestor of the formula had some sparkle. If the culinary show version XXIe century is popular, it owes it in part to the pioneers Maïté and Micheline Banzet, the incomparable duo of the cult program “La Cuisine des mousquetaires”, broadcast on France 3 from 1983. The heirs are, certainly, more miserly in goose fat, but the spirit is there.
It’s about showcasing the talent of our chefs and showing live to Sunday cooks, or even more, the know-how of our Mozarts in the kitchen. In any case, the exercise has been attracting people to the Palais des congrès de Royan since the Royan Atlantique Community Tourism Office (OTC) decided to offer this type of event there as part of the Savoir- do from here.
120 certified restaurants
“We launched it in 2021 to promote local restaurants. Today, 120 restaurants in the city are certified. It’s a guarantee of quality for the customer,” says Valérie Claude who manages this file at the OTC. The culinary shows organized in the main hall of the Palais des Congrès represent the second stage of the rocket. “The idea is to highlight the work of chefs and make them known to the general public. Very often, we go to eat at a restaurant without really knowing who is behind the plate that we are served. There, the chefs come out of their kitchen and demonstrate a recipe of their choice live. We are sharing,” insists the person concerned.
Chefs Florian Puglia and Romain Marie-Moreau surround Christian Lavigne.
S. D.
The concept is a hit. After a first date which saw star chef Xavier Taffart, from l’Aquarelle, and Sébastien Renevot, from 3 Canards by Gally, take the stage on November 10, the second meeting scheduled for this Sunday, January 12 with Florian Puglia, from the Saujonnais restaurant Roselières, and the Royannais Romain Marie-Moreau, from Perle d’Iode, was once again sold out with more than 360 participants.
The free nature of the event does not explain everything. Everything related to the culinary art and eating well often finds its audience. The third banquet, already scheduled for March 9, 2025 with chefs Frédéric Loivel, from the restaurant Le 7367 in Vaux-sur-Mer, and Nicolas Ballot, from the hotel-restaurant La Plage in Saint-Palais-sur- Mer, should also experience great success.
A real interest
“We refuse people every time,” notes Elie de Foucauld, the director of the OTC. The show is well oiled. On stage, the two maestros, each positioned behind a work table and equipped with a microphone, gradually explain what they are doing. In the middle, Christian Lavigne, the president of the Saveurs d’ici cuisine de chefs association, plays the Ringmaster supported by Valérie Claude. In the audience, questions abound. We feel a real interest.
S. D.
Since the OTC launched these culinary shows, the main hall of the Palais des congrès has been full.
“How do you obtain a geranium infusion without risking poisoning? » “Where can we find Chayote, also called Christophine? » The chefs respond straight away without losing track of their recipe. Last Sunday, a marsh maki-style leek green for Romain Marie-Moreau and a salad of lettuce and geranium for Florian Puglia livened up the conversations. The icing on the cake is that the public is invited, at the end of the meeting, to a small tasting of the dish made. “Epicurious epicureans”, as Christian Lavigne calls them, can leave happy.
