The crème de la crème of European gastronomy join Culinary Festival

Posted on March 15, 2013 by constancehotelseditor

The selection of European chefs for this year’s Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau includes some of the top creative culinary minds from across six countries. As the festival gets underway on Monday, here’s the lowdown on the Michelin star chefs appearing at this year’s event.

William Drabble

William Drabble of Seven Park Place, St James’ Hotel & Club, UKDrabble is no stranger to working with fresh-from-the-ocean seafood.

Drabble’s signature dishes at his Michelin-starred restaurant Seven Park Place include poached lobster tail and marinated hand-dived scallops, making him perfectly placed to work with our island chefs.

Having discovered his passion for cooking using fresh locally grown ingredients in his childhood, Drabble toured the Michelin-star kitchens of the UK to learn his skills.

At the age of 26 he earned a Michelin star at Michael Nook’s Country House Hotel. He then moved to London and the Aubergine and was again awarded a Michelin star which he was able to retain for 10 years before moving to St James’ where within a year he again gained a star.

Ezio Gritti of l’Osteria di via Solata, Italy

Ezio Gritti

Ezio Gritti blends tradition with innovation in what should make him the perfect competitor in the culinary competition.

Having built his career on blending new and exciting elements into traditional Italian cuisine, Gritti will be open to the island influences he will discover in Mauritius.

No stranger to pressure Gritti has cooked for some of the world’s most famous figures including Henry Kissinger and Giorgio Armani.

Surprisingly Gritti was a latecomer to cooking, only discovering his true passion at the age of 28.

But he certainly made up for lost time, within a few years he was heralded one of the Top 12 Chefs of the Third Millennium for his innovative menu at Alla Nicchi in his home town of Bergamo.

By 1997 Gritti had joined l’Osteria di via Solata and went on to make it a culinary hotspot in Bergamo. In 2005 he was recognised for his work with a Michelin star.

Anita Klemensen of Den Rode Cottage, Denmark

Anita Klemensen

At the age of 35 Anita Klemensen has the honour of being the first Danish woman to receive a Michelin star for her restaurant Den Rode Cottage.

Set up by herself and her partner chef Lars Thomsen the Den Rode Cottage is a star of the ‘New Nordic Cuisine’, using fresh local ingredients and seamlessly blending Nordic traditions with modern gastronomy.

It is her acclaimed ability to adapt seasonal, fresh ingredients into gourmet feasts that makes her an ideal European chef for the competition with its emphasis on local produce.

Luc Mobihan of Le Saint Placide, France

Luc Mobihan brings a wealth of experience from some of the best restaurants in France with him to the culinary competition in Mauritius.

Luc Mobihan

As a chef Mobihan’s passion is for beautiful, simple food with ultimate taste and it is on this philosophy he and his wife Isabelle based their Michelin-starred restaurant Le Saint Placide.

Mobihan’s culinary adventure began when he joined, as a trainee, the kitchen of Jean-Paul Abadie at the 2-starred Amphitryon.

Stints in various Michelin-starred kitchens followed before Mobihan could finally realise his dream of setting up his own restaurant.

Roman Paulus of Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel, Czech Republic

Austrian chef Roman Paulus brings a wealth of fine dining experience to the competition from his time as Executive Chef at the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel in Prague.

Roman Paulus

He began his career in Austria in the early 1990s working his way up through Michelin-starred kitchens including La Pergola in Rome and Maison du Boeuf in Brussels. He then went on to join the kitchen of The Savoy hotel in 1999.

Paulus has literally travelled the globe searching out culinary excellence in his job as chef on the illustrious ocean liner Queen Elizabeth II.

When he returned to Austria he joined the Hilton Group working as Sous Chef for the CzecHouse Grill & Rotisserie at the Hilton Hotel in Prague before moving to The Alcron where he received a Michelin star.

Robert Speth of Chesery, Switzerland

Robert Speth

Used to the stunning Alpine surrounding of the exclusive Swiss town of Gstaad, Robert Speth is looking forward to the lush, tropical surroundings of Mauritius.

With his apprenticeship as a pastry chef in Ravensburg and experience as head of the pastry at the hotel Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof in Frankfurt he will undoubtedly have unrivalled skills to enhance those of the island chefs.

But Speth’s skills go way beyond pastry thanks to his time training under Albert Bouley at the Waldhorn, Louis Outhier at La Napoule and in Munich undfer Heinz Winkler at Tantris.

His work was rewarded when in 1998 he received a Michelin star at his current restaurant, Chesery in Gstaad and was, in 2005, voted Chef of the Year by GaultMillau.

Find out more about Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau 2013

Read more about the Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau which starts on Monday 18 March at Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius.

Bid in our online charity auction to dine at a Michelin star restaurant in Europe

Posted on March 14, 2013 by constancehotelseditor

Every day next week we are holding an online charity auction offering you the chance to bid for an exclusive dinner for two at a Michelin star restaurant in the UK, France and Switzerland.

Roast cod with olive oil mash and gremolata at Chez Bruce

All money raised will go to the ground-breaking school, Etoile de Mer, in Mauritius that helps disadvantaged teenagers get back on their feet, teaching them vocational and life skills.

How it works

From Monday 18 – Friday 22 March you can choose which of the following restaurants you would like to bid to dine at:

1. Chez Bruce, Chef Bruce Poole (London, UK)

The offer: Dinner for 2 with wines matched by sommelier, and a behind the scenes tour of the kitchen to meet Chef Bruce Poole.

At Chez Bruce, you can enjoy top-notch modern food loosely influenced by classical and regional French/Mediterranean cuisine. Home-made charcuterie, slow cooked braises, offal, warm and cold salads, classical desserts and bread-making are specialities, as is the restaurant’s famous cheese board.

Visit their website to read more about Chez Bruce and Chef Bruce Poole.

2. Restaurant Serge Vieira, Chef Serge and Marie-Aude Vieira (Chaudes-Aigues, South Central France)

Dining room at Restaurant Serge Vieira

The offer: Tasting menu for 2 plus drink

At Restaurant Serge Vieira, you can enjoy fabulous light and simple cooking, using only the finest ingredients, seasonal and locally sourced where possible.

Describing his cooking as ‘emotion culinaire’ Chef Serge runs his restaurant with his wife Marie-Aude, and the menu is the expression of their culinary creativity, reflecting their passionate respect for the food and the environment.

Visit their website to read more about Restaurant Serge Vieira and the masterminds behind it.

3. Beau-Rivage, Chef Dominique Gauthier (Geneva, Switzerland)

The offer: Dinner for 2 at Le Chat-Botté

At Beau-Rivage’s Le Chat-Botté you can enjoy contemporary and inventive French cuisine by award winning Chef Dominique Gauthier.

Le Chat Botte at Beau-Rivage

Wine connoisseurs can indulge in some exceptional wines from the cellars of Beau-Rivage, renowned as being one of the best stocked cellars in Switzerland.

Visit their website to read more about Beau-Rivage and Chef Dominique Gauthier.

How to take part

Join us on Facebook, Twitter or here on the blog on Monday 18 March, where you can start bidding. We’ll be keeping you updated on how the bidding is going, and publishing more information about each of the restaurants taking part.

The charity we’re supporting

All money raised in this auction will go directly to the Mauritian school, Etoile de Mer to help the students turn themselves around, and discover opportunities that would otherwise not be available to them.

At Constance, we have supported the school for teenagers for some years. Now, with your support, we can help the school expand so the founder, Christine Baudot, can take in more children. Currently demand is far in excess of the number of places available.

Serge Vieira visits Etoile de Mer in 2012

The school welcomes children from 12 years old who come from deprived families living in the neighbourhood, and who have struggled in their primary education.

The school’s proven non-academic approach is enabling pupils to thrive as they build self-confidence and personality, teaching them non-vocational skills, as well as how to read and write.

Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau 2013

We’re running this year’s online charity auction to mark the 2013 Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau. Every day we’ll be publishing highlights from the festival. Follow us on Twitter for photos and updates, using hashtag #CFBL13.

Read more about this year’s festival, and the big names from the culinary world who are flying into Mauritius for the event this weekend: 2013 Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau.

Constance sommeliers trained by leading winemakers Thierry Germain and Stephane Derenoncourt

Posted on March 8, 2013 by constancehotelseditor

As part of our exciting Art de Vignes week our sommeliers had the wonderful opportunity of receiving training from Thierry Germain and Stephane Derenoncourt.

Sunset at North Beach

One of the world’s leading wine consultants and producers, Stephane Derenoncourt of Domaine de l’A was keen to talk about the benefits of Biodynamic wine producing techniques.

Thierry Germain, of the acclaimed domaine de Roches Neuves, is also an advocate of Biodynamic farming and explained to our sommeliers how he used his vineyard’s natural resources without pesticides and synthetic fertilisers to cultivate the highest quality grapes.

Wine menu

In honour of their visit Chef Aviraj collaborated with the sommelier team to create a menu based around the wines of Domaine des Roches Neuves.

Chef Aviraj aperitif selection – served with Samur, Bulles de Roche, 2010

Chilled red mullet fillet, green apple and citrus cigar – served with Saumur, L’insolite, 2011

Lightly smoked ‘bourgeois’ fish wrapped in Serrano ham, breadfruit scoop, glazed vegetable and red wine sauce – served with Saumur Champigny, La Marginale, 2010

Cherry surprise – served with Saumur Champigny, Terres Chaudes, 2011

More about Biodynamic wine growing

The term ‘Biodynamic’ refers to an agricultural movement defined by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. The goal of biodynamic wine growing is to get a vineyard to be as self-sustaining as possible, using waste products from one area to be used as fuel for another area. It’s a system that looks at the vineyard as a living organism itself from the soil to the sun, all working in harmony towards a well-balanced ecosystem that is self-sustaining.

Biodynamic wines and growing practices go beyond organic farming methods and focus on soil sustainability and viability via crop rotation, composting, non-chemical interventions for pest management and astronomical cycles to provide continual vineyard input. This emphasis often means the qualities of biodynamic wine offer more balance, clarity and depth of aromas and flavours.

Find out more about Thierry Germain and Domaine des Roches Neuves and Stephane Derenoncourt and his philosophy of wine.

Legendary winemaker Jean Marc Boillot visits Ephélia for Art de Vignes week

Posted on March 7, 2013 by constancehotelseditor

To celebrate the visit of Jean Marc Boillot to the Seychelles, Cyann’s head chef Aviraj and the sommelier team at Constance Ephelia created a stunning wine menu based around his acclaimed Domaine de la Pommardière wines.

Wine tasting with Jean Marc Boillot at Constance Ephelia, Seychelles

Staff wine tasting with Jean Marc Boillot

A favourite among the three-star restaurants of Europe, Jean Marc Boillot is unusual in Burgundy for having an equal number of celebrated red and white wines.

The menu at Cyann evening

Selection of Chef Aviraj canapés – served with Vin de Pays d’Oc, Domaine de la Truffiere, 2010 (white)
Duo of scallops and langoustine, celeriac gratin laced with curry spice, bisque emulsion and pomegranate reduction – served with Meursault, 2011
Stuffed chicken breast, leg confit ‘Pomme pont-neuf’ and morel mushroom, cooking jus and crispy pancetta – served with Pommard, 2010
Mandarin delice with honey, passion fruit compote, blood orange sorbet – served with Vin de Pays d’Oc, Domaine de la Truffière, 2011 (rosé)

Find out more

Enjoy these photos from the dinner at Cyann

Art de Vignes dinner at Cyann, Constance Ephelia, Seychelles

At Constance Ephelia

Countdown to Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau in Mauritius

Posted on March 7, 2013 by constancehotelseditor

With just over a week to go until the start of this year’s Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau, chefs and foodies alike are starting to gather at Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius.

Preparing six star dinner at 2012 festival

During the food festival, six top European Michelin-star chef’s come to work alongside six of our best island chefs. The festival culminates in a cook-off competition for the best Euro-island inspired menu.

During the festival the world renowned chefs and judges will be offering special menus and cooking demonstrations to guests at both Belle Mare Plage and Le Prince Maurice.

A rare treat for gastronomes, this is a chance to sample some of the world’s best food in one of the world’s most beautiful locations.

Bid to dine at Michelin-star restaurants in Europe

And this year, we’re holding an online charity auction to celebrate the festival and give you the chance to bid for an exclusive meal at a Michelin-star restaurant.

More about the auction and how you can take part.

Constance Le Prince Maurice, Mauritius

Find out more

Read about the star chefs and judges attending the 2013 Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau

Check booking availability for this year’s culinary festival:

Highlights from Art de Vignes week in Seychelles

Posted on March 5, 2013 by constancehotelseditor

Our Head Sommelier, Jerome Faure, brings you highlights from the beginning of a fabulous week of wine appreciation as the Art de Vignes wine growers’ collective visits the Seychelles.

Wines from Art de Vignes collective

Constance Ephelia

Sunday 3 March

Our sommeliers at Constance Ephelia enjoyed training with Anne and Olivier Decelle, owners of St Emilion Grand Cru Chateau Jean Faure. We tried the 2009 and 2010. It is a special blend with 50% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 10% malbec. The property is close to St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Cheval Blanc.

The 2010 is for me a really wonderful wine – one of the top from St Emilion.

Anne and Olivier Decelle also own Domaine Mas Amiel, located in Roussillon nearPyrenees. They are making Maury (Fortified Wine) Maury Sec (new appellation in 2011 – only Red ) and some Cotes du Roussillon Villages (White, Red and Rosé).

On Sunday evening we enjoyed a wine tasting with all the wine makers and our guests at Constance Ephelia.

Preparation for Art de Vignes wine dinner

Wines we tried:

Cotes du Roussillon Villages Plaisir Rose – Mas Amiel 2012
Saumur Insolite Domaine des Roches Neuves – Thierry Germain 2011
Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier Georges Vernay 2011
Montagny 1er Cru Jean-Marc Boillot 2010
Cotes de Castillon Domaine de l’A – 2005
Chateauneuf du Pape Chateau de Beaucastel 2009

The menu

The menu was proposed with Domaine Mas Amiel and Chateau Jean Faure.

Starter:

Cotes du Roussillon Villages Altair 2010 Mas Amiel with Red Snapper Wheel’s Carpaccio with Green Bean Salad and local Passion Fruit Dressing

Maury – Mas Amiel 1969 with marinated Red Tuna Rose, Grilled Zucchini with Light Curry Apple Compote and Tomato with Xeres Vinegar.

Main Course:

St Emilion Grand Cru Chateau Jean Faure 2010 with Lamb Fillet with CrispyParmaHam, Local Eggplant Chutney, Parmesan Tuile and Pan Forte Sauce.

Dessert:

Maury Charles Dupuy, Mas Amiel 2008 with Surprise Dark Chocolate Sphere with Berries Compote.

Chateau de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape

Monday 4 March:

We held staff training about Rhone Valley Wine with Christine Vernay (Domaine George Vernay) who is owner and wine maker for prestigious appellation from North of Rhone Valley (Cote Rotie – Condrieu) and Thomas Perrin, one of the owners of Chateau de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape.

Wines we tried:

Vin de Pays Pied de Samson Viognier – Vernay 2011
Cotes du Rhone StAgathe – Vernay 2010
St Joseph Vernay 2010
Cote Rotie Blonde du Seigneur Vernay 2010
Luberon Vieille Ferme 2011
Cotes du Rhone – Coudoulet White 2011
Cotes du Rhone – Coudoulet Red 2010
Chateauneuf du Pape Beaucastel White 2011
Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes Beaucastel White 2011
Chateauneuf du Pape Beaucastel Red 2010
Chateauneuf du Pape Beaucastel Hommage a J. Perrin 2009

Dessert at Art de Vignes dinner

Evening at our new Chinese Restaurant at Ephelia :

Chef Ling and his team with the collaboration of our sommelier team created a menu with Thomas Perrin wines from the Chateau de Beaucastel in theRhoneValley

Aperitif

Cotes du Lubéron, La Vieille Ferme, 2011 with Chef Ling canapés selection

Main course:

Chateauneuf du Pape, Chateau de Beaucastel, Vieilles Vignes, 2009 with Seafood siew mai with caviar

Chateauneuf du Pape, Chateau de Beaucastel, Vieilles Vignes, 2009 with Crispy chicken in sweet and sour sauce

Chateauneuf du Pape, Chateau de Beaucastel, 2005 with Wok fried black pepper New Zealand beef with bamboo shoots

Dessert

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Perrin, 2010 with Pancake stuffed with coconut mousse, exotic fruit minestrone, lychee sherbet

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