Meet the man behind the exclusive group comprised of talented chefs to the heads of state. Gilles Bragard talks about the humble beginnings of Le Club des Chefs des Chefs as it marks a milestone of four decades this November. Founded in 1977 and dubbed the world’s most exclusive gastronomic society, we get a glimpse into the culinary arena of royalty and politics as they host their annual event in Macau this year.
For those who don’t know, can you tell us what exactly Le Club Des Chefs Des Chefs is?
It’s a most exclusive gastronomic club in the world. To be a member of the club, you have to be a chef of the head of state and only one chef per country is admitted to represent their nation with one exception that is China. It’s a great example of international cooperation. Our motto is if politics divide men, then a good table reunites them. We say the head of chefs play a key role in diplomatic and international relations and we always remember that Talleyrand Napoleon’s prime minister once said give me a good chef and I will make good treaties and today it still rings true [laughs].
And today, all heads of state in each country where we meet in general we are received by the heads of state like Obama, Merkel, the Queen of England, the Prime Minister of India. And all the important people we meet say the same thing. It’s important to create a friendly atmosphere around the table and then the discussion becomes easier. When the food is good, when the wine is good, it does not mean that everything or forever issues will be resolved but you cannot deny it has a key role. It’s a good way to begin and implement diplomacy so we say the chefs are truly important.
What inspired you to start this group? Why is it important?
I was involved in the industry that makes uniforms for chefs. Many chefs in the world wear my uniform and I knew many chefs of the heads of state and I was surprised that they didn’t know each other. And I said why not? So, I invited them to meet each other and from that day it proved to be very interesting and so it started and we formed the club.
What is your role now as the secretary?
Now the club is a non-profit organization and we try to help as much as we can with charity dinners. I organize each of the general meetings as with my role. And for one week the red carpet is for these hardworking and exceptional men behind the kitchen of powerful leaders as a sort of recognition.
How many members are there and how does one become a member?
We don’t have too many members because in other countries there’s no official chef. Like in South America we have no members because when there’s an official reception they ask hotels or catering company. And for some other countries, it’s a post that is very private like for example North Korea.
Where is the annual conference next year and what do you usually discuss?
It will be in Morocco in October 2018. The first is to discover local cuisine and gastronomy. We have cooking demonstrations and we want to know new techniques and cuisines. Explore spice markets and discuss it. We visit hotel schools in our aim to help education like what we’re going to do here in Macau. Essentially, we want to discover the gastronomy of each country.
Tell us something special about the group that’s happening this year.
In each of our annual meetings, we have a charity dinner. We are arranging to have a special lunch for the homeless in the Vatican. Pope Francis has given part of the Vatican as a refuge for homeless people. Each chef will make a specialty and show that the chef of the powerful people understands the needs of others. This enables to send a strong message that we don’t forget the weak and the poor. It will be the 40th year of the club this November and what better way to commemorate and share our skill and talent.
How did you come up with the name?
When the chefs said let’s meet again after the first gathering, it was an instantaneous spark of the moment and we said we should have a name. And so we all came up with this title, Le Club des Chefs des Chefs. It means Chef of Head of States.
To learn more about Le Club des Chefs des Chefs and its members, visit their website: www.chefs-des-chefs.com
