For four years now, an innovative project has emerged in France, combining a passion for rugby with that of gastronomy. The idea behind the XV of gastronomy came from Claude Atcher, former director general of the Rugby World Cup, whose mandate ended on October 11, after the opening of an investigation by the public prosecutor’s office. Paris against him.
This XV of gastronomy is made up of a real culinary dream team and counts among its members renowned personalities such as Yves Camdeborde, the team captain, as well as Pierre Augé, Christelle Brua, Frédéric Bau, Amandine Chaignot, Christian Constant, Christopher Coutanceau, Julien Duboué, Alain Ducasse, Alain Dutournier, Christian Etchebest, Charles Fontès, Alexandre Gauthier, Guillaume Gomez, Gilles Goujon, Stéphane Jégo, Stéphanie Le Quellec, Éric Ospital, Jean-François Piège, Franck Putelat, Michel Sarran, Guy Savoy and Mathieu Viannay.
To carry out this project, a call for tenders was launched nationally to attract the best caterers from each region of France. Many have responded to this call, and one or two have been chosen for each of the stages. “The conditions were the use of seasonal products mainly from the respective region of each stadium,” explains chef Camdeborde.
In order to offer an authentic and accessible experience to all, a farmers’ market has been created near the Stade de France, highlighting French artisans. This initiative aims to satisfy spectators who occupy less privileged seats, ensuring that gastronomic quality is within everyone’s reach. Then, gourmet meals will be served in the boxes and lounges, a notable example being the Friday evening dinner at the Stade de France, where 1,500 place settings will be prepared for an exceptional seated meal.
France, the country of gastronomy par excellence, sees gastronomy here at the heart of a major global sporting event, thus affirming that cooking is much more than an art, it is an essential part of French culture , like rugby.