Chefs au Sommet d'Auron 2024, Sliding on Gastronomie de Terroir -

chefs sommet auron glisse gastronomie terroir

Stéphane Mangin, Jean-François Berard, Victor Delpierre, Michel Guillot ©YesICannes.com

From 24 to 29 January 2024, the Chefs au Sommet d’Auron will be celebrating gastronomy in a convivial and shared atmosphere in the emblematic Mercantour ski resort.

Stéphane Mangin & Victor Delpierre ©YesICannes.com

Chefs au Sommet d’Auron 2024: the iconic resort of Auron, the first in the Nice Côte d’Azur area to be awarded the Flocon Vert label, has just opened its 135 kilometres of pistes. The twelfth edition of the Mountain Gastronomy Festival is already shaping up a gourmet winter, combining the pleasures of sliding the slopes with the delights of the palate. For five days, from 24 to 29 January 2024, skiing, sunshine and gastronomy will take you down the snowy slopes of Alpine delights! An event of sharing and culinary delights that’s a must for your winter holiday dates!

Colette Fabron – Mayor of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée – Auron ©YesICannes.com

Michel Guillot – organiser of Chefs au Sommet d’Auron ©YesICannes.com

Skewer of chefs in the Alpine kitchens

Set amid the sumptuous snow-capped peaks of the Mercantour in the Southern Alps, some twenty starred or renowned chefs and patissiers from the Côte d’Azur will be showcasing their talents in Haute Gastronomie in the charming villages of Auron, Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage and Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée. Every evening, different Chef de Cuisine/Chef Pâtissier duos will officiate in the resort’s restaurants to create exceptional dinners.

Stéphane Mangin speaking ©YesICannes.com

Victor Delpierre speaking ©YesICannes.com

By the fireside

By the fireside, in the warm, authentic atmosphere of the mountain restaurants’ wooded dining rooms, holidaymakers, seasonal workers and valley residents will have the chance to enjoy truly gastronomic menus at the special, one-off price of 55 euros. Comprising an amuse-bouche, starter, main course and dessert, the menus are sure to delight the taste buds of all gourmets.

©YesICannes.com

Two artists of flavour as patrons

Organised by the Auron Tourist Office, with the support of Auron, Saint-Étienne de Tinée, SEM des Cimes du Mercantour and the Alpes-Maritimes Chamber of Trades, this year’s Mountain Gastronomy Festival is under the dual presidency of Victor Delpierre and Stéphane Mangin, two flavour alchemists who are loyal to the Mountain Gastronomy Festival. Accustomed to creating original worlds of flavour together, they will be offering a week of unforgettable, gourmet and joyful moments.

Noëlle Faure (letf) ©YesICannes.com

Victor Delpierre, La Cuisine des Boissons

Victor Delpierre, the talented and engaging 2013 World Barista/Cocktail Champion and World Champion “Coffee in good spirits”, is the creator of La Cuisine des Boissons. A cocktail virtuoso, Victor Delpierre brings the Festival to life with his creations and cocktail tastings. At the 2018 Chefs au Sommet d’Auron, he came up with the Le Riounet cocktail, which has become the resort’s official drink. Victor likes to provoke the unexpected and go beyond the boundaries of taste. Like chefs who cook food, the world champion enjoys ‘cooking’ liquids – with or without alcohol – as well as cream and chocolate, to create ever more daring and inventive concepts and mixes.

©YesICannes.com

Stéphane Mangin, the pastry genius

Originally from Saint-Nabord (88), Stéphane Mangin is now Pastry Chef at Régis and Jacques Marcon‘s three-starred restaurant at Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid in Ardèche. Les Frères Raimbault, Jacques Chibois, Nicolas Decherchi, and most recently three-star Georges Blanc in Vonnas, are just some of the many starred chefs who have sought out his talent. A virtuoso with a spatula and a whisk, the 45-year-old from the Vosges region of France is a master of taste, creating stylish, elegant desserts. His overflowing imagination is always on the alert, driving him to create mountains of sweet treats with soft, creamy and aromatic textures. His stylish, elegant desserts with their ever-changing flavours are inspired by nature, its harmonies of colour and the world around him. As well as being imaginative and creative, this craftsman of happiness focuses his art on rigour, precision and expertise.

Stéphane Mangin & Yves Terrillon (La Cuisine des Fleurs – Antibes) ©YesICannes.com

Giant barbecue at the foot of the slopes

On Sunday 28 January, the Chefs au Sommet d’Auron 2024 will be donning their Toques Brûlées outfits for a wild show cooking to treat skiers to a range of grilled meats, delicacies and mountain specialities on the spit or over an open fire. The Toques Brûlées, hosted by the talented Noëlle and David Faure, will be staging the now traditional giant barbecue and grilled meat tasting show, with around twenty over-excited chefs setting the snow front alight with their gastronomic delights to the pleasure of skiers from all over the area, all to an electrifying musical accompaniment and the delicious Riounet cocktail created by Victor Delpierre.

Mickaël Berthiaud (Hôtel Le Saint Paul) with Toques Brûlées ©YesICannes.com

©YesICannes.com

Tribute to a great chef

During this 12th edition, Chefs au Sommet d’Auron will be paying tribute to Jean-François Issautier from Saint-Etienne de Tinée. This generous chef with a passion for cooking had the honour of being the patron of the first edition. What a source of pride for the people of Saint Etienne to have seen the recipes of their forefathers sublimated by a native from the region who won his first star in the family hotel founded by his grandparents in his native village! He then went on to practice his art in St Martin du Var, in the restaurant La Belle Route, where he was awarded his second star, particularly for the traditional dishes of Nice, which he was keen to bring up to date.

Stéphane Mangin & Patrick Raingeard (Le Cap Estel – Eze) ©YesICannes.com

A unique concept after skiing!

During the day, after skiing, numerous culinary workshops are organised to learn the chefs’ secrets. On the programme, to the delight of young and old alike: cookery demonstrations during which chefs and pastry chefs share their know-how with you to teach skiers how to make original recipes. Conferences will also be held at the end of these gourmet days. There’ll be plenty of talk about cooking, fine wines and raw materials… The maestros of the kitchen will be on hand to reveal some of the secrets of their success and their tricks of the trade.

Michel Guillot, Champagnes Philiponnat, David Faure (à droite) ©YesICannes.com

Chefs au Sommet 2024, in the “cuisine” category, the nominees are…

Xavier Malandran – La Flora, Mougins ; Emmanuel Lehrer – Le Domaine du Mas de Pierre***** – Saint Paul de Vence ; Justin Schmitt – Chateau Eza* – Eze ; Jérome Clavel – Le 44 – Antibes ; Jean-François Berard – La Bastide des Saveurs by Jeff – La Cadière d’Azur ; Alexandre Lavagna – Le Vyrus – Saint-Laurent-du-Var ; Benjamin Pansolin – La Dorée, Hôtel l’Abbaye – La Colle sur Loup ; Mickaël Berthiaud – Le Saint Paul***** – Saint-Paul de Vence ; Virginie Basselot – Le Chantecler* – Hôtel Negresco – Nice ; Philippe Johannès – Maison de Bacon – Antibes ; Fabio Merra – Le Mood, Saint-Laurent-du-Var ; Pierre Lorenzo – Peixes – Nice ; Aurélien Martin – Le Panier – Nice ; Benjamin Bourgoin – Le Cantemerle – Vence.

(Right) Mickaël Berthiaud (Hôtel Le Saint Paul) ©YesICannes.com

The Chefs au Sommet 2024 nominees in the pastry category are…

Stéphane Mangin – Régis et Jacques Marcon, 3* ; Cédric Servela – Groupe Cannatella Restaurants ; Yoann Gouverneur – Pâtisserie Émotions – Castagniers ; Christophe Canet – Pâtisserie Canet – Nice ; Vincent Riou – Maison de Bacon – Antibes ; Elise Ciamos – Pâtisserie Déli Bo – Nice ; Manon Isnard – Domaine du Mas de Pierre***** – Saint-Paul-de-Vence ; Fabrice Didier – Le Fairmont – Monaco ; Ludovic Gambini – La Popote d’Ondine – Nice ; Maxime Simonot – Giry Traiteur – Cannes ; Marc Payeur – Pains et Pâtisseries Carabacel – Nice.

Les Toques Brûlées ©YesICannes.com

New for 2024

Every day from Wednesday to Sunday, culinary workshops will be offered for €7, in 2 slots at 3pm and 4pm. These workshops will be run by chefs for groups of around ten people. Les 5 à 7 Gourmands: every evening after skiing, the Auron multi-purpose hall will be the venue for culinary demonstrations. It’s a not-to-be-missed event for holidaymakers, who can enjoy a real moment of sharing with chefs who pass on their know-how, tips and passion for cooking. Wednesday is the P’tits Chefs workshop. A day dedicated to learning how to cook for children who enjoy wearing a chef’s apron and chef’s toque.

David Graziani (left) ©YesICannes.com

“Made in St Etienne de Tinée”

Traditional St Etienne cuisine will also be in the spotlight during this festival, with members from the ASESC delighting us each year with recipes from our grandmothers (ravioli, green pasta, gnocchi, fritters, ganses, etc.). Flavours from yesteryear that we love rediscovering!

Jean-François Berard, Victor Delpierre, Krystel Biret ©YesICannes.com

Mercantour products in the spotlight

Chefs will be giving gastronomes a taste of French culinary art, with the best products from the Mercantour, sublimated and given pride of place at this delicious event on the theme of Locavore, products from short distribution circuits, expressing the love of the land. This festive programme will also put the spotlight on mountain produce, much of it supplied by the Association Montagnes Paysannes, a group of producers from Puget-Théniers. Haute Tinée cuisine and revisited old recipes will spearhead this gourmet event.

Stéphane Mangin, Jean-François Berard, Victor Delpierre, Michel Guillot ©YesICannes.com

Early morning…

The day begins with breakfast for skiers on the snow front. On the programme: barista entertainment with the World Champion Victor Delpierre, alongside Pascal Rolfo and his delicious Le Côte d’Azur cake. This year, Pierre Briant from Ma Première Boulangerie joins the team of pastry chefs to treat skiers before they schuss down the slopes.

©YesICannes.com

Montagne Solidaire with les Petits Princes

The Toques Brûlées team, who have been loyal to the event since its inception, are back to set the Auron snow front alight with a Grand Barbecue, featuring the irresistible culinary duo of David and Noëlle Faure. It’s a moment of great conviviality between the chefs and the skiers, who can enjoy delicious dishes prepared before their very eyes, sometimes in extreme conditions. The Auron resort, which has been awarded the Famille Plus label, will be staging this event as part of a special operation in partnership with the ANMSM: La Montagne Solidaire. Boxes will be available for customers to donate to the Petits Princes charity.

Partners’ day

It’s a day reserved for all the chefs from the current and previous editions of the competition. They know each other, they like each other, but they rarely get the chance to spend a real moment together and have fun in an unusual setting, just like in the mountains. The programme includes skiing and snow activities, followed by lunch in one of the resort’s snow-front restaurants. On the menu will be dishes prepared by Auron’s restaurateurs. It’s a great opportunity for the chefs to get away from their kitchens and chat with the partners.

Thank you to the partners

The organisation of the Chefs au Sommet d’Auron would not be possible without the help of all the partners, whether for food, drink or equipment. And let’s not forget the institutional partners and the press who keep this event in the spotlight!

The full program is here : www.calameo.com/read/005427517c557d032f110

Presentation of the programme at INO Plage in Cagnes -sur-Mer

At the press conference held at INO Plage in Cagnes -sur-Mer, chef Loïc Marcachi, assisted by his second Alain Point, chef de partie Etan Normand and new apprentice Simon Coillot concocted a delicious cocktail in honour of the Chefs au Sommet d’Auron. On the menu: Smoked salmon roll, homemade guacamole toast; smoked duck breast, onion confit, homemade foie gras; hummus served with grilled octopus; scallop cassolette, vanilla sauce; Petit Palet Bretons, passion fruit cream and fresh fruit; tuna tataki with an Asian flavour; pumpkin velouté like panna cotta, hazelnut slivers and dried pancetta.

Gastronomy inspired by the whole world

The new INO Plage concept invites you to share a delicious plate of local cuisine based on fresh, home-cooked ingredients in a floral, woodland setting with a friendly, trendy atmosphere. Come and enjoy a special moment for two, an afternoon with friends or some family time. For lunch or dinner, the INO Plage team will be delighted to welcome you to enjoy their world-class cuisine overlooking the sea.