The Chefs des Chefs philanthropic club, made up of chefs from heads of state from around the world, held its annual summit for the first time in Spain
Pedro Sánchez prefers salads and fish, Emmanuel Macron He is the most knowledgeable president of gastronomy who has passed through the Elysée Palace and Justin Trudeau loves paella. Those who cook for world leaders are discreet and exercise the “gastrodiplomacy“.
Twenty-five of them make up the Chefs des Chefs philanthropic clubfounded by Gilles Bragard in 1977, which held its annual summit this week for the first time in Spain and a charity dinner in favor of José Andrés’s NGO, World Central Kitchen, before being received by President Sánchez.
“The G-20 of gastronomy”
Bragard defines it as “the G-20 of gastronomy“, a group of professionals who “guard the culinary traditions of their countries, are ambassadors of their products, responsible for the well-being of world leaders and help their heads of state and government in diplomacybecause if politics divides men, good food unites them”.
Among them is José Roca, who has been cooking in Moncloa for 44 years. From your current tenant, Pedro Sancheztells Efe that he is “very grateful when it comes to eating” and on his menus there is usually salads and more fish than meat.
“simple, normal things“, comments who has worked for all democratic presidents: “Each one has its pros and cons, but our main value is discretion.”
Cod ‘esqueixada’ for Sánchez
One day this week, Sánchez and his family ate Cod ‘esqueixada’, sirloin with Port reduction and baked potatoes and chocolate ice cream. In their work, these cooks try to be creative because they feed him every day and they have to “play a little with the same products so they don’t get bored with the dishes.”
It is Roca who proposes the menus and they make the changes they want; if there are international guests, the kitchen becomes “an embassy of Spain”, boasting a national pantry.
Chirac, ‘gourmand’; Sarkozy, teetotaler
The same happens in the Elysée, whose stoves arrived in 1977 Guillaume Gomez, son of a Spanish emigrant. Author of ‘À la table des presidents’ (‘At the table of the presidents’) and today a special ambassador of French gastronomy, he explains to Efe that “Jacques Chirac was very ‘gourmand’, Nicolas Sarkozy did not drink alcohol but loved good products, François Hollande adored French gastronomy and Emmanuel Macron is the president who knows it best“.
Like his colleagues, he is a strong advocate of “gastrodiplomacy“, because with their menus, especially when they receive foreign leaders, they talk about their territories, their producers and transmit “economic and human values”.
The Queen of England, a fan of ‘foie gras’
Among the members of this club there is the “blue telephone”, by which the tastes of each president or monarch are communicated when they travel. “The Queen of England likes ‘foie gras’ very much, and specifically requested it on her last trip to France, her son Carlos did notBragard reveals.
The Indian president is a vegetarian
Mukesh Kumar cooks for a Vegetarian President, Ram Nath Kovind (India), which does not suppose “no problem” for him, but it does reduce the spice when he receives foreign leaders; Cambodian Yen Chanty feeds Justin Trudeau (Canada), “who works out a lot, eats a lot and likes local food but also experiences other cuisines.” Spanish paella and Iberian ham are among his foreign preferences.
One of the two women Chefs of Chefs (the other officiates at the White House and was unable to attend the summit), Elmarie Pretorius, (South Africa), admits to Efe that it is a “difficult job” because they have to be available “24/7”, even by phone in case presidential wish.
confidentiality agreements
Attentive to allergies, intolerances and food restrictions due to religion at each international reception, they try to give the best of themselves and the gastronomy of their country, reminds Efe Fabrizio Boca, for whom pasta is an emblem, both in the menus of the presidents Italians (“each one prefers the cuisine of their region,” he says) and at official dinners with foreign leaders visiting Rome.
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In many cases linked to confidentiality agreementsThey are extremely secretive. Bragard recalls that it was said that Chirac liked the ‘tête de veau’ (cow’s head, a traditional French dish) and there was no trip in which they did not cook it for him or that when George Bush confessed that he did not like broccoli and its producers demonstrated at the White House.
They hold positions of the highest trust and almost feel like part of the family of those they cook for, although, Bragard recalls, “presidents go but chefs stay.”