New “nightmares in the kitchen”? Hoping that by 2025 at the latest any non-“homemade” dish will be marked on the menus of France’s 175,000 restaurants, the Minister for SMEs and Commerce is putting back on the menu a label created in 2014 but very little applied.
A decision which may be hard to digest for some (read elsewhere) but delights the national president of the Master Restaurateurs.
“For us, this “homemade” new version is holy bread. This will put things into perspective and create an unprecedented breath of fresh air!” rejoices Alain Fontaine, also head of Mesturet in Paris. To tell you the truth, we don’t know the Homemade logo (the little pot with a roof, Editor’s note), because our state title already necessarily presupposes fresh products worked on site.he continues while specifying that the criteria of his label do not stop there.
The good to receive too
“At the Maîtres Restaurateurs, quality of service, staff (graduated or with at least ten years of experience, Editor’s note), topping, frontage and presentation of the menu, count just as much as what’s on the plate!” , insists Alain Fontaine just before continuing an interview with a colleague from the BBC that this subject on Froggies delight too.
“Catering begins with welcoming guests. Ultimately, I would be more tolerant of “average” cuisine than of deplorable service and mediocre attention to the customer! »adds one of his Var colleagues.
If the government wishes to bring “more transparency for customers”label or not, the Var profession wants to preserve its good image, particularly with regard to the tourist population.
“To reassure consumers, I admit that we are already very controlled. There are strict principles on designations of origin, traceability, allergens…”lists a chef from the area around Place des Lices in Saint-Tropez.
Good point (final) for “homemade”, it will justify the price of a dish to a consumer who until then could sometimes pay (at least) as much for a so-called “local” dish and in reality chew frozen food imported…
The other side of the coin is that we should not expect that the mention, once it becomes obligatory, will make the menus of local restaurants and brasseries more affordable.
Marc Veyrat: “We are going to penalize part of the profession”
These days in full “boom” near Megève where he is building “a new restaurant for 2024”, Marc Veyrat also has pots on the fire in the Saint-Tropez peninsula where his Côte 2000 teams are descending spend the season at Casa Amor, on the banks of the Ramatuellois shore.
“Homemade” is of course a ready-made subject for the lively Savoyard chef.
“I say bravo! Minister Olivia Grégoire is fundamentally right. But be careful of the backlash. In terms of form, the problem is that we have industrialized cooking. Restaurants are doing what they can.. It is the logical continuation of the 35 hours… Large companies or independents try to do well but no longer have the time or the means… Indicate on the menus that dishes are not “homemade “is penalizing, or even leaving behind, a part of the profession, such as breweries, which are victims of the system in place”argues Marc Veyrat.
More restaurants in Gassin
As popular as he is in the French culinary world, the man with the wool felt hat does not hide being a link in this system.
“I work for groups myself and I know that frozen products are used. If it is done well and the supplies are of quality, I have no objection”finishes the great chef who finally says he has abandoned his idea of an intimate table “right in the kitchen” announced in the Gulf.
A “homemade” story of a completely different kind, since this time, it was the construction of the building which was to house the concept in Gassin which posed the problem.
“There is nothing worse than being misled about the merchandise”
Originally from Toulouse, Stéphane Avelin has 40 years in the restaurant business. In Saint-Tropez, he is in the kitchen at Caprice des deux, an institution housed in the alleys of the old town where he builds on his title of Master Restaurateur and regional champion won in Nice in 2016.
A status that obliges him. For him the “fact” is quite simply a “O-bli-ga-tion”! With the addition of raw and fresh products. Not frozen! “Yes of course we can freeze fish, but it must have been bought fresh”specifies the Saint-Tropez chef.
Certainly there is a list of exempt products often linked to the lack of farming in France such as snails, prawns or vacuum-packed frog legs, but for the rest be careful.
Supercheries “maison”
“If, for example, I make a club sandwich, you know that the mayonnaise is homemade, the chicken is steamed then sliced, the beef heart tomatoes are quality and even the sandwich bread is made by me. You will agree that that It’s rather rare these days where a frozen sirloin arriving from Argentina with fries can very well be described as a homemade dish. The same goes for an avocado toast made from wholesale bread, frozen guacamole and smoked salmon from the supermarket!”smiles the chef who also advocates “made on the spot, to the customer’s order”.
The assembly that passes for “homemade” is the great trickery of the profession.
“It is a hidden truth. If the ministerial proposal is validated, from now on we will no longer be able to hide behind our little finger! There is nothing worse than being deceived about the goods. The consumer must be warned to what awaits it. If I am served sphaghetti with lobster and it comes from South Africa, I don’t want it! The same if the dishes are stuffed with flavorings which are chemical additives! “says Stéphane Avelin indignantly.
The virtues of “ready-made”
The leader does not place all his counterparts in the same pot and does not want to overshadow the picture.
“Everything that is a prepared dish is much more controlled in terms of hygiene. Then ready-made products can be very good. Pastries or ice creams, which I make myself, can very well come from a local artisan from quality. In this case the restaurateur should not have to be ashamed that his desserts are not “homemade”. You just have to warn the customer!”estimates the Tropézien who adds another essential notion.
“The basis if you buy finished products is to respect them. You also need love in the kitchen… Sometimes all the elements are there, but the culinary tradition is not followed with passion . There are no emotions and therefore no taste and flavor. But catering is not just about cooking. It starts with welcoming guests!”concludes Stéphane Avelin with a smile that echoes that of his staff when they welcome people into the room.