Published on April 20, 2021Updated on April 25, 2023
"Gastronomy is the art of using food to create happiness" - Theodore Zeldin.
A quote that takes on its full meaning when the Chefs of the Monte-Carlo Group Société des Bains de Mer, in partnership with the Solidarpole Association, join forces to make the eyes of the most underprivileged shine, by organising solidarity lunches at the Fourneau Économique in Nice.
Committed chefs and enthusiastic volunteers: the winning recipe
On 13, 14 and 16 March, 11 of the Group’s chefs were joined by staff volunteers to prepare lunches for people in need at the Fourneau Économique in Nice.
Each team of chefs created their own menu, including a starter, main course and dessert made from healthy, fresh and locally-sourced ingredients.
For example, Laurent Piolti, Carlos Borges and Nicolas Baygourry, cooks in the Brigade of the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, have joined forces to offer the following menu: for starters, a tabbouleh of quinoa with vegetables and marinated salmon, for the main course, a delicious spiced poultry curry accompanied by almond rice, and for dessert, an apple, vanilla and salted butter caramel tart.
The joy of bringing joy to others!
To help the chefs out, some twenty of the Group's employees to get involved! Their mission? To help set up, assist the Chefs in preparing the meals and finally serve the meals. To them, it was a chance to give something back: "I have very good memories of this moment of sharing, it warms the heart to see the efforts of everyone to provide for the needs of others." - Suzanne Courtin, Group trainee and volunteer for this operation.
"The most beautiful memories of these days will remain for me the smile, the exchanges and the thanks of the beneficiaries of the Fourneau Économique in Nice who were able to eat thanks to our employees. A rare moment." - Christian Barilaro, Group employee and volunteer for this operation.
This charitable initiative was an extension of a programme of activities set up with associations such as the Guardian Angels of Monaco, MIR and Restos du Coeur on similar projects for several years.
If you'd like to see the full menus, just click here.
Lunches like no other
In the middle of March, the teams gathered at the Fourneau Économique in Nice to bring lunches to those in need that were anything but ordinary…
The chefs gave all sorts of reasons for wanting to volunteer their time and to share their know-how, including bonding with others, brightening disadvantaged individuals’ days and treating them to some good food.
"A moment of solidarity, teamwork and conviviality beyond any hierarchical link. To serve others, to give a little hope and a moment of happiness, to support those who have chosen to make helping others their daily life." - Sophie Vincent, Group Human Resources Director.
Overview
3 lunches, 11 chefs, about tweny volunteers, and around 400 lunches served at the Fourneau Économique in Nice.
This was the first activity of its kind in the Group’s history, with 12 of the Resort’s chefs taking turns over four days to get lunches out the door.
“We wanted everyone involved – not just chefs, but pastry chefs too”, says Philippe Joannes, the Director of Culinary Events at Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. “The health crisis did take a little of the fun out of it on the day, since it’s the cooking that makes these events special for people and that all had to be done off-site. That's why we chose to put one chef on every course.”
The initiative was originally set up by the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort and chef Marcel Ravin in 2016. It has since had a wonderful snowball effect, with all of the Resort’s chefs.
According to Solidarpole’s president, Fabio Vitale, it warmed the hearts of those most in need:
“Cooking for someone is a selfless act in itself, but giving people a moment of escape – even if only for the length of a meal – and taking them away from their day-to-day struggles...that is a real gift that only talented chefs like the ones involved over the course of this week would be able to give.
That is why, on behalf of both Solidarpole and the Fourneau Économique, I would like to say a big thank you to Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, the 11 chefs, and every member of staff who contributed, directly or indirectly, to making this event so unique, and showed the true extent of the group's commitment and social responsibility.”
This 2023 edition promises to make a comeback next year...
Thanks for their investment:
To Chef Philippe Joannes and his team who coordinated the implementation of the event with the teams of Chefs Marcel Ravin, Dominique Lory, Patrick Laine, Emmanuel Pilon, Jean-Laurent Basile, the Pastry Chef Nicolas Baygourry, the Sous-Chefs Laurent Piolti, Guillaume Giuggia, Luca Panico, Sebastien Cita, Carlos Borges, Pascal Bodevier, Maeva Jean-Ernest, Enzo Hentati, Antonello Pinna and their team for the preparation of the meals,
And to Fabrice Guillon and his teams for the logistics, especially the transportation.
To the volunteers on site supervised by the chefs: Sophie Vincent, Mike Manfredi, Jennifer Dominique, Laurine Lovazzani, Solvita Trinchiero Martin, Celine Martin, Christian Barilaro, Michaël Ambrosini, Paola Minicucci, Leslie Dirou, Mélanie Rossoni, Lionel Giuriolo, Suzanne Courtin, Orianne Liautaud, Pascal Lavagna, Nicolas Greani and Gloria Pappatico, who also co-ordinated the participation of the volunteers
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