The new edition of the Gard Gourmand competition, aimed at rewarding producers and artisans in the department, began this Tuesday, October 1st in the premises of the Purple Campus in Alès.
We rarely witness such a quiet and studious dining space. This Tuesday 1is October, in the dining room of the Purple Campus in Alès, around forty guests receive various mouth-watering dishes from the training center’s hospitality students.
For some tables, the first courses consist of tapenades. Others enjoy focaccia or savory macaroons. Some eyes sparkle when they enter the mouth. However, no sentence or strong reaction breaks the silence of the room. Immediately, the guests, pens in hand, secretly write down a lot of information in a file.
500 products on the table
Until Friday October 4, 192 Gard residents, all volunteers, will give time to evaluate no less than 500 products from the department’s terroirs for this new edition of the Gard Gourmand competition run for several years by the Department. A work that is both enjoyable and meticulous where everything is dissected: presentation, texture, smell, taste and aftertaste.
During these four days, the juries will rotate to the Purple Campus to test and notify, from midday until the end of the day, a complete panorama of Gard gastronomy. “We received more than 600 registrations from producers this year, indicates Bruno Jouve, head of the Department’s Tourism Project Directorate. We kept 504, mainly for logistical reasons.” Dishes and creations offered by 148 artisans, caterers, farmers and traders. Another sign, for the Department, of a successful edition: “That’s 20 more registered than last year.”
Turnover and know-how
Ready meals, cold meats, drinks, cheeses, breads, desserts… Divided by category, the products which have received the best marks from this amateur jury will then be awarded medals to reward their quality. Bronze, silver or gold… The award-winning products will help, in addition to promoting their quality, to support their creators. “According to our study, a product bearing a Gard Gourmand medal means 25% more turnover on the product in the following year for its creator”adds Bruno Jouve.
But the idea remains the ambition to showcase local know-how and support a sector that is particularly in difficulty. “These candidates have a difficult and complicated job. They undergo many economic constraints and face climate change.”
The products awarded by this grand jury will be revealed in the 2025 edition of the Medals and Flavors Guide which the Department will publish in December. The official awards ceremony will take place at the beginning of 2025. Last year, Gard Gourmand awarded 151 medals in total, with an almost equivalent split between gold, bronze and silver.
