Prince’s Palace Chef cooks for underprivileged in Washington
To thank the chefs for cooking for an American charity, the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, invited them to the White House for lunch - © Monaco Embassy in the United States
Christian Garcia worked alongside chefs from the Élysée Palace, Buckingham Palace, the White House and the Willard Intercontinental Hotel.
The “Club des Chefs des Chefs” met in Washington between 29 October and 2 November to prepare exceptional meals, as well as providing comfort food for those in need. Founded in 1977, this elite group has been dubbed the “G20 of gastronomy”. And with good reason: all its members hold the prestigious role of personal chefs to heads of state or government in their respective countries.
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Although it was the Club’s founder, Gilles Bragard, who had the idea of the event in the American capital, the Monaco embassy in the United States pulled out all the stops to ensure everything ran smoothly. Monaco’s ambassador, Maguy Maccario-Doyle, convinced the French and Italian ambassadors to each organise a reception in honour of the chefs at their respective residences.
Guests were able to appreciate the culinary expertise and the best ingredients from the two countries, as well as products from the Distillerie de Monaco, such as its orange liqueur and citrus gin, which are not yet marketed in North America.
Meals for a charity
The 20 chefs spent their first day visiting the DC Central Kitchen charity, which combats hunger and poverty. They brought their talents to bear on some of the 10,000 meals that the charity distributes every day.
The chefs who attended were also invited to visit the Pentagon – © Monaco Embassy in the United States
Before leaving, the chefs thanked the ambassadors of their respective countries by treating them to a lunch prepared by the chefs of the Élysée Palace, Buckingham Palace, the White House and the Intercontinental Hotel Willard.
A final closing reception was hosted by Stanislas Vilgrain, owner of “Cuisine Solution”, an international culinary player. The chefs presented Ambassador Maccario-Doyle with the traditional grand chef’s jacket and an honorary diploma in recognition of her efforts in culinary diplomacy.