Gallery Photos    |     Introduction     |     Program    |     Competition    |     Participants

Jury     |     History of the Festival     |     Celebration of the Prize     |     Sponsors

Since 2006, Constance Hotels Experience orchestrates with le relais Bernard Loiseau and his Chef Patrick Bertron one week of culinary promotion whose competition associates six European Chefs all holders of a star in the Michelin guide and six cooks of the islands. Constance Hotels Experience has the privilege to organise this Culinary Festival, which has vocation to become increasingly more international.

This special event takes place at Constance Belle Mare Plage, located on one of the most beautiful beaches of the east coast, which also has a natural park of 150 hectares where are situated two famous golf courses.

The main objective of this festival is to support the exchange, know-how, the experiment and knowledge of the participating Chefs. They will have to use the local products and of season to carry out their dishes while conveying the values of conviviality and the specific qualities of the . “Culinary Spirit of Constance Hotels Experience”.

This festival ends beautifully with the prize giving and the gala evening.

The Concept

COLLABORATION BETWEEN 6 EUROPEAN CHEFS ALL HOLDERS OF A STAR IN THE MICHELIN GUIDE AND 6 COOKS OF CONSTANCE HOTELS EXPERIENCE (BELLE MARE PLAGE, LE PRINCE MAURICE AND LEMURIA RESORT).

Each European Chef should be present from the 14th to the 22nd March 2009 included.
Each European Chef works with his team member, namely one cook of Constance Hotels Experience.
The “Chefs of the islands” are selected following an assessment of their professional performances during an in-house competition, prior to the event. Their participation is, therefore, strictly on merit.

Each team is given 4 products that they have to use as follows :

• A starter with fresh palm heart.
• A dish with Farm chicken and Gambas, which theme is « a modern and personal interpretation of the typical Mauritian dish » - chicken and prawn curry.
Candidates prepare themselves the spices with the traditional “roche-cari”, a stone used to crush spices.
Candidates look for their own products (vegetables, fruits, etc…) at Port-Louis market, capital of Mauritius. The idea is to encourage the creativity using the local products of season.

This concept gives birth to a convivial and professional culinary exchange, the leitmotif of the Festival.

The dishes prepared by the finalists are tasted by a panel of judges presided by Mrs Dominique Loiseau, CEO of the Relais Bernard Loiseau SA and vice-president of Relais et Châteaux and well known professionals.

Note:
• On the day of the competition, only the Mauritian counterpart in each team prepares the dishes. The notion of transfer of know-how and human qualities are essential and decisive in this competition.

THE MENU

The menu must be prepared for 7 diners and it should comprise:

• 1 starter
• 1 dish

The menu must be written up so as to contain the description of the dishes, their composition
and the cooking method. However, the write-up will not be taken into account in the score.
No limit with regard to the quantity or variety but it all depends on the availability of the produce at the market, according to the season.
Produce bought at the market are part of the experience linked with knowledge of local produce.
Candidates will not be penalised if they do not use all the produce put at their disposal.

The other products:

One of the goals of the competition is for the Chefs to use to the best of their ability the resource of Mauritius and its local produce.
A selection of basic products (butter, milk, oil, flour, rice, etc…) will be made available in the kitchen. It is not recommended to use the imported produce excessively.

Download the press book (pdf file)