At the bow of the Paquebot, the largest event boat on the Parisian Seine, chef Stéphane Chicheri made the guests at the press conference salivate. ” You are hungry ? That’s good, there’s something to eat! » reassures the mischievous-looking gourmet, the earthy pepper and salt bacchantes and the miraculously spotless white jacket.
And simmer with small onions (crispy) a 100% veggie hot dog with brioche bread, red cabbage pickles, honey mustard and sausage made exclusively with apple, potato and peas. In less than three months, this fast food bestseller, revised and corrected with an eco-friendly twist, will fill the stomachs of spectators of the Olympic Games events at La Concorde. The capital’s famous square is the scene of BMX freestyle, skateboarding, breaking and 3 x 3 basketball games.
“The conviction that another model is possible”
Only on this site, the meal offering intended for the general public will be 100% vegetarian. A choice that is both strong and symbolic revealed this Tuesday, at lunchtime, by the French event catering giant Sodexo Live! which will feed athletes from the Olympic village but also ticket holders at 14 competition venues including Concorde. The announcement was made on board the liner which will roll out the red carpet for the French delegation of athletes during the opening ceremony on July 26.
On the Obelisk side, the XXL caterer will also offer a toasted sandwich with tomato, mozzarella (French) and arugula pesto (homemade), a fusilli or rice salad with beans, falafel with beets, a spinach tart. and goat’s cheese…, i.e. around fifteen recipes (not counting desserts such as lemon meringue tartlet or crepe) without any meat element.
The impetus comes from the Olympic organizing committee. “This is a first in the history of the Games. We are convinced that this offer will be a hit,” predicts Philipp Würz, director of catering for Paris 2024, who is “convinced that another model is possible”. The objective of these 33rd Olympics is to halve the carbon footprint of meals compared to previous editions.
Meet the expectations of a young audience
At the other competition sites in Paris but also in the provinces, vegetarian recipes will also be offered but associated with products containing meat such as croque-monsieur, l’Estaque ham in Marseille or Lyon sausage in the capital of Gaul . If Concorde was selected for the 100% veggie experiment, it is, in part, because of the young and trendy profile, concerned about the planet, of spectators who love urban sports.
“A festival spirit,” explains “Food and beverages” manager Philipp Würz. In his eyes, this offer does not exclude anyone, quite the contrary. “It can be consumed by everyone,” he boasts. “The idea is not to convert people so that they become vegetarians, but to encourage them to eat less meat,” said Stéphane Chicheri, executive chef of Sodexo Live!
According to Paris 2024, the “pricing” of these veggie products is currently being finalized. The price range could vary between 6 and 10 euros. If the raw materials are rather cheap, the processing costs are sometimes high. “Peeling vegetables, cutting them, cooking in different ways…, all of that costs labor,” calculates one of the chefs’ bosses Stéphane Chicheri.
