Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday September 26 the creation of a “Center of excellence” of French gastronomy, which should be based in the Lyon region, in order to defend and promote food professions in international competitions.
Speaking before the “dinner of the Chefs”, organized in Lyon in the lounges of the prefecture of the Rhône, the Head of State compared this future structure to the training centers of football in Clairefontaine (Yvelines) and rugby in Marcoussis ( Essonne), where the national teams meet before the big competitions.
“I am going to put rugby fans and football fans in agreement, it is the Marcoussis of cooking and table professions, or the Clairefontaine of these professions”, said Emmanuel Macron in front of some 200 guests of this annual meeting of the most renowned cooks and pastry chefs.
This “Training and excellence center for all culinary professions” will aim to “Train to achieve excellence, train for major competitions and prepare the athletes you are to win in the name of the colors of France”, he added.
“Do not lose any of this spirit of conquest”
He hinted that he could see the light of day in Lyon or its region, “Epicenter of this excellence”. This idea is part of the proposals made by Guillaume Gomez, the former head of the Elysee who in February became his “Personal representative” serving ” French gastronomy “.
In his speech, Emmanuel Macron thanked the chefs present – such as Anne-Sophie Pic, Alain Ducasse, Marc Veyrat, Pierre Gagnaire, Amandine Chaignot or Stéphanie Lequellec – “To have held” during the Covid-19 crisis despite the long months of closure of their establishments. “You continued to innovate (…) Do not lose anything of this spirit of conquest » for gastronomy, which is “At the heart of the art of being French”, he added, claiming that American and Asian tourists would go ” to recover “.
He will carry this message again by visiting on Monday morning the 20e International trade fair for catering, hotels and food (Sirha), the major global event for the sector with 4,000 exhibitors. In the afternoon, the Head of State will chair, at the Cité internationale de Lyon, the installation ceremony of the World Health Organization (WHO) academy in the presence of its Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.