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Every year, the local tourist board, in partnership with the island's hotels and restaurants, concocts a mouth-watering program for its Gourmet Festival. For its twelfth edition, to be held from November 4 to 9, the event should be no exception. While the number of guest chefs is considerably lower than in previous years, with "only" five (eight in 2024), the majority will be "cheffes".
Eugénie Béziat is a starred chef at the Ritz restaurant in Paris, l'Espadon. She completed her apprenticeship at Les Près d'Eugénie, with Michel Guérard, before joining Stéphane Garcia's Brasserie du Stade Toulousain. In 2012, she worked alongside Michel Sarran "where she familiarized herself with the organization and exacting standards that two stars deserve", says the CTTSB. She then answered the call of the Mediterranean and flew to Corsica in 2015 to work 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. During the Gourmet Festival, she will be in residence at Hôtel Le Barthélemy.
At Nikki Beach, talented Brazilian chef Manuelle Ferraz will be in charge throughout the festival. Chef of the A Baianeira restaurant in São Paulo, she was awarded the Bib Gourmand by the Michelin guide before being named "revelation chef" by the Brazilian press. "She celebrates Brazil's popular roots through a cuisine that is festive, sincere and focused on heritage," writes the CTTSB. Manuelle Ferraz is considered one of Brazil's most promising chefs.
From her childhood on the island of Cozumel, Mexico, to taking charge of the kitchens at Coretta bistros in Paris, Beatriz Gonzalez has come a long way. At the age of 18, she moved to France to join the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse. She went on to work in some of France's finest establishments, before becoming assistant chef at the Grande Cascade gourmet restaurant in 2007. In 2011, she opened her first establishment in Paris, Neva Cuisine. For this edition of Gourmet, she will be in residence at Le Bagatelle, Gustavia.
A few gentlemen will also be taking part. Franck Putelat had already honored the festival with the presence of his two stars at the 10th edition. At his Carcassonne establishment (since 2006), La table de Franck Putelat, he is on a perpetual quest for perfection. Inventive and innovative, he is developing his establishment with vegetable gardens, luxury rooms, a "Brasserie à quatre temps", and a host of culinary projects. In Saint-Barth, he will take up residence at the restaurant L'Esprit, in Saline, alongside the master of the house, Jean-Claude Dufour.
Younger but no less talented, Alexandre Koa decided at the age of ten that he would make cooking his profession. Chef at Gordon Ramsey's two-star Pressoir d'Argent restaurant in Bordeaux, he has also worked for the Loiseau group, the Bristol and chef Ronan Kervarrec's Table de Pavie. He will officiate at the Rosewood le Guanahani hotel.
An event for every day
The twelfth edition of the Gourmet Festival will open at the Rosewood le Guanahani on Tuesday, November 4. This invitation-only event will bring together individuals and socio-professionals from across the island. For the CTTSB, it's an opportunity to associate the event with the launch of the tourist season. From Tuesday to Saturday, festival-goers will be able to feast at the tables of partner establishments. Other events are also on the program.
A caviar masterclass on Wednesday November 5 from 6.30 to 8 p.m. (book in advance at Foodland in Gustavia), another on Champagne at the Lounge Baron de Rothschild, not forgetting the popular "bartender" competition, which will take place in Gustavia. bartender" competition on Saint-Jean beach, opposite Eden Rock, on Sunday November 9 from 10.30am to 1pm. This event will be followed by the "Boys in the Café" race, with their feet in the sand.
Surprises and novelties
Contrary to previous editions, the "chef challenge" held at Bonito will not take place. Aware that this competition, while popular with professionals, was not attracting large crowds, and driven by a desire to include more of the local population, the Tourism Committee has come up with another formula. So, on Saturday November 8, after the traditional Petites Toques competition, three of the guest chefs will take part in a culinary show. With the support of the Comité des pêches, at a venue to be revealed shortly.
Last but not least, two guest chefs will be working in school kitchens! On Friday November 7, after proposing a menu to the Anse Caraïbes teams, they will come and lend a hand. A complex exercise, since they will have to juggle with the intolerances and allergies of the schoolchildren. But there's no doubt they'll remember their canteen meal!
