Gourmet Festival:

Eugénie Béziat will be in residence at Le Barthélémy during the 12th Gourmet Festival, which runs from November 4 to 9. The Michelin-starred chef, who works at the Ritz Espadon in Paris, will offer a "singular and personal" cuisine, directly inspired by her African origins.

Eugénie Béziat's madeleines de Proust taste of hibiscus, peanuts and manioc. All flavors that take her back to the first eighteen years of her life, spent between Gabon, where she was born 42 years ago, Congo and Côte d'Ivoire. These flavours are still present in her recipes today, as the Michelin-starred chef has been at the helm of the kitchen at the Ritz Espadon in Paris for the past three and a half years.
Eugénie Béziat will be leaving this establishment temporarily to take part in the Gourmet Festival. From November 4 to 9, the woman who has become a gastronomic expert will be in residence at the Barthélémy hotel. The menu she has concocted for the island's gourmets is in the image of what she offers in the renowned Parisian restaurant. "The menu features the signature dishes of L'Espadon," Eugénie Béziat emphasized on October 28.
These include tomato confit with parsley, vanilla and jasmine, and lobster and manioc with green chili and pineapple. The price of the menu, which is unique in the various restaurants participating in the Gourmet Festival, is 135 euros per person.

The Michelin-starred chef is in her element. "The terroir of Saint Barth reminds me of what I grew up with," she smiles. Especially when it comes to grilled fish. Eugénie Béziat will be delighted to cook what the fishermen have brought back, during the culinary show organized on the Quai Rockefeller, on Saturday November 8. We'll have to keep it simple, but the most difficult thing is to keep it simple," says the chef. I think I'll be offering a delicate, family-style cuisine. "For her, this will be a moment of sharing rather than a challenge.

"A love of gastronomy
Eugénie Béziat has always been passionate about cooking. Even when, at the age of 18, she left Africa for France to study Applied Foreign Languages (LEA). "My parents loved to entertain and passed on their love of gastronomy to me," says the chef. On the faculty benches, the young woman pondered food pairings and combinations. I love the creative aspect of cooking," she continues. I've always been fascinated by taste and visual clashes. "
Eugénie Béziat took her first steps in the restaurant business during an Erasmus year in Cologne, Germany. There, she found a student job as a waitress in an establishment serving French cuisine. On her return, and after obtaining her degree in LEA, she enrolled in a BTS to deepen her knowledge in the field. "I also did a work-study placement at the restaurant 7 place Saint-Sernin in Toulouse between 2004 and 2006", she recounts.
The young enthusiast then continued her training as a commis de cuisine at Les Prés d'Eugénie, with Michel Guérard, before returning to the pink city to work at the Brasserie du Stade Toulousain for four years, alongside Michel Sarran. Eugénie Béziat followed this up with a second experience working alongside this chef in a two-star establishment. That period was a rich one, as Michel's name was booming and his career on the up," she recalls. I learned a lot in terms of organization and rigor. "

Canvassed by the Ritz
But the woman with Spanish and Italian roots missed the Mediterranean terroir. So she flew to Corsica in 2015. There, she worked in Yann Le Scavarec's kitchens at La Roya. In 2018, she took charge of La Flibuste restaurant in Villeneuve-Loubet, earning her first star in just 18 months. "It was my first big challenge, because La Flibuste served more traditional French cuisine and no one there had any experience in gastronomy," explains the chef. It took a lot of hard work, high standards and discipline to get this star. "
Until, four years later, she received a phone call. "It was the Ritz, canvassing for me. I thought it was crazy. I couldn't say no. It was a great reward and a new adventure for Eugénie Béziat, who has never abandoned her "authentic, singular and personal" cuisine. "

Her journey now takes her to Saint-Barthélemy. "I'm extremely happy to be discovering the island," she enthuses. The Gourmet Festival will be yet another opportunity for Eugénie Béziat to showcase her culinary talents.

Rosewood Le Guanahani
Cedrik Ollivault
Guest chef: Alexandre Koa
"It's always a great pleasure to share moments of culinary emotion. The St. Barth Gourmet Festival is a great opportunity for exchange, creativity and passion, both for my team and for the guest chef. "

Bagatelle
Rocco Seminara & Manon Santini
Guest chef Beatriz Gonzalez
"We've been participating in the Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival for four years now. It's always an event we look forward to, as it allows us to share our experiences with guest chefs, local teams and customers alike.
As resident chefs in Saint-Barth, we see this festival as a great opportunity for exchange and transmission. It's a time for creation, discovery and conviviality around a shared passion: gastronomy.
The dishes we will be proposing this year fully reflect our culinary identity, a meeting between the Mediterranean and South America, centered on taste, freshness and the enhancement of products we deeply enjoy working with.
For us, the Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival remains a not-to-be-missed event, highlighting the island's gastronomic wealth and the spirit of sharing that drives us at Bagatelle St Barth. "

Nikki Beach
Antoine Durand
Guest chef: Manuelle Ferraz
"I take part in the Saint Barth Gourmet Festival because, for me, it's much more than a culinary event: it's a real immersion in the world of gastronomy.
Meeting other chefs, starred or not, exchanging, sharing and creating around a world cuisine rich in flavors and emotions is a unique experience.
Every encounter, every dish, every fragrance tells a story, one of passion, sharing and discovery."

L'Esprit
Jean-Claude Dufour
Guest chef: Franck Putela
"It's always a great source of pride to take part in the Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival, which for me represents a fine showcase for French gastronomy in Saint-Barthélemy. For several editions now, I've been keen to contribute to this excellence. It's an event that has become emblematic, made up of encounters and creativity. "

Le Barthélemy
Guillaume Gillan
Guest chef: Eugénie Beziat
"It's a real honor to take part in the Gourmet Festival alongside Eugénie Béziat, this collaboration is a sharing of creativity and passion, two visions brought together to celebrate gastronomy and awaken the senses. "