Paris Olympics 2024: Sustainable gourmet meals for global guests
With plant-based meals and a focus on sustainability, this is how the hospitality team caters to almost 5 lakh guests during the Paris Olympics 2024
A plate setting for guests at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The Paris Olympics 2024, which began at the end of last month, is about to conclude on August 12. The mega event involved extensive planning to accommodate the needs of athletes and guests, who included locals as well as visitors attending the event. While athletes were housed in the Olympic Village with their food and lodging taken care of, guests were spread across 130 venues throughout Paris and Versailles.
Olympics 2024 | What are the Indian participants eating in Paris?
Al fresco Dining area
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Felix Zafra, vice president, event production and venue management for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, started preparations almost three years ago. His responsibilities included selecting venues for guests, setting up architecture and production, and creating experiences that included virtual reality, quizzes, and displays of the Olympic torch.
Felix was also in-charge of hospitality packages and menu planning for each category. “The food and beverage offering was the most difficult to plan. We have five packages — Gold, Silver, Bronze, Entry Level, and Private — across 650 games. For each of these packages, there are more than three meals per day, keeping in mind different dietary preferences and cultures. There is a three-day rotation of the menu. This was the most complex procedure,” shares Felix.
Gustave 24 at the Eiffel Tower
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Guests were hosted in venues like Gustave 24 at the Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais, Château de Versailles, Stade de France, and Paris La Défense Arena. Around 80 chefs, 23 of whom are from Michelin-star restaurants, and 500 personnel were deployed to manage the service across these locations.
“For the opening ceremony alone, we set up 19 restaurants along the six-kilometre stretch of the Seine river. This was the first time an event like that happened on a river rather than in a stadium. At Versailles, we set up a 2,000-square-metre tent with a 500-square-metre kitchen within the woods. It should provide the best conditions for guests, chefs and kitchen staff. For example, we have a chef making lobster ravioli. I need to give her the best conditions to make ravioli, including the required equipment and ingredients,” says Felix.
Cheese spread
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
With sustainability in mind, the Olympic hospitality team developed Food Vision – Paris 2024, a plan aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of each plate and promoting plant-based meals. “Almost 100% of the ingredients used come from in and around France. We want to honour the farmers who bring us the cheese, vegetables, and protein. So everything is sourced locally. Each venue has well-curated charcuterie to showcase the beautiful produce,” Felix adds. One of the main methods adopted to achieve the less than two kilograms of carbon footprint per plate was to balance the menu. “The moment you add a lot of red meat, the carbon footprint shoots up. So it has vegetables, fish, and white meat to balance it out,” he explains.
For American-French chef Thomas Chisholm, bringing sustainability into the menu was not a difficult task. “At my restaurant Cho-Cho in Paris, we already aim to reduce food waste and carbon footprint. Here, I have tried to make vegetables shine. But I am not cutting off protein cold turkey. Instead of having animal protein accompanied by vegetables, I have reversed the equation. I have a marinated and smoked eggplant dish with a dill and fish sauce. The fish sauce is made with fish bones and is a bit of animal protein on an otherwise plant-based dish,” he says. “Ultimately, they are at a sporting event, and there is nothing more uncomfortable than getting food on themselves. So the sauces are reduced, and the food is served as one-bite portions. We started testing and planning four months in advance, so we were able to convert a lot of the dishes into finger food too,” Thomas adds.
A chef preparing a dish on demand
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Thomas has been manning one of the stations at Stade de France. “Primarily, we serve French cuisine in our own ways. People from many countries are here for the games, but they also want a bite of Paris. Since I was born in the US, I have a bit of an American influence, but the food is produce-centric,” shares Thomas. “There are mostly no buffets in any of the venues, barring the cheese stations, bread stands, and pastry stations. Every meal is prepared on demand. This is when the client can get food that is fresh and tastes good. The locally sourced ingredients also need to be fresh. For example, I make a ratatouille which requires three different types of vegetables. The produce is so fresh that it elevates the dish,” he adds.
Fresh Oyster station
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
The food stalls were planned as live stations, keeping in mind the aim to reduce food waste. “We planned 1-1.2-kilogramportions per person. They come to the chef and say what they want; there are customisations as per taste and dietary needs. This way they don’t waste the food. We also reuse unused ingredients; they are all vacuum-sealed at the end of each day — this way, they have a long shelf life,” says Felix. The venues also don’t have any packaged food to avoid littering. “The cutlery and glasses we have are all reusable. There are many washing stations across venues.”
Lounge area at the Paris Olympics 2024
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
The packages across venues have been planned to cater to people from different economic backgrounds. The on-site Entry Level package starts at €150 and €80 in locations outside of the stadium. “At the Entry Level package at the venue Clubhouse 24, the ticket includes stadium entry, a welcome drink and bite. Other than this, there are stalls with different cuisines, and people can buy what they like with dishes as low as €5 or €6. Here we serve wine and beer. The Gold package, priced at €600 per game, includes wine, beer, a variety of champagnes, and meals made on demand in the lounges. Here the guests will not have to pay for any service; it is all inclusive,” Felix shares.
Over the course of 16 days, the hospitality team has prepared to serve 400-500 thousand guests across locations. While there have been complaints about the food and accommodations in the Olympic village, with some participants preparing their own meals or venturing out for a bite, planning and executing an event of this scale, with so many variables and an unwavering focus on sustainability, is indeed an Olympic feat.
Read Comments
- Copy link
- Telegram
READ LATER
Remove
SEE ALL
PRINT
Related Topics
The Hindu Weekend
/
Paris Olympics 2024
/
food and dining (general)
/
food