When chefs take to the high seas

Over 95,000 euros. That's the price of a copy of the Titanic's menu from April 11, 1912, sold at auction last year. Three days before the tragic sinking, first-class passengers were still feasting: oysters, Renaissance consommé, cream of asparagus, salmon with hollandaise sauce, tournedos of beef, roast chicken, lamb with mint, peas, parsnip puréthe most luxurious ocean liner of its time spared nothing, least of all the plates. Even the third class had its own restaurant. Of course, other transatlantic liners also went the extra mile. The aim, in those days, was to dispel travelers' boredom and, possibly, their fear of the long crossing. A century later, cruise ships are once again turning their attention to gastronomy. Countless chefs are taking to the water: Stéphanie Le Quellec with Rivages du Monde, Marco Pierre White with P&O Cruises, Michel Roux with Cunard, Hélène Darroze, Bruno Barbieri and Ángel León with Costa, Denny Imbroisi with Ponant, Thierry Marx with Explora Journeys... or Umi Uma by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (better known as "Nobu") on Crystal Cruises, Seta su Ilma by chef Fabio Trabocchi on Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection or Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud on Celebrity Cruises...

A star in the United States, the French chef at the helm of 24 restaurants explains: " It was Cornelius Gallagher, my sous-chef twenty-two years ago and now Celebrity Cruises' Vice President of Hotel Operations, who came to me with the idea of becoming the brand's culinary ambassador. We first did marketing and events together before he invited me to open this table in 2019 [and then a second on another ship, editor's note]. "Both are designed by French architectural firm Jouin Manku, and each seats 40. " We don't do spontaneous cuisine, but dishes that are sometimes derived from my other restaurants - Café Boulud, Pavillon, Daniel - or from a bistro and that can adapt well on board. "For Daniel Boulud, gastronomy has always been part of the experience at sea. " I remember the Paquet cruises when I was at Roger Vergé's Moulin de Mougins. in the late 1970s, there were gastronomic weeks on board, with chefs rotating through the kitchens when the ships cruised the Mediterranean. I've always appreciated service on ships. In fact, I've employed a lot of young people who've had experience on board. Talented and courageous, they understand the importance of the relationship with the customer by working alongside them for a week, two weeks or a month. They know how to build loyalty, which is crucial for a restaurant, and they're also at ease with an international clientele. "

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The Ponant company took a different approach, partnering with Ducasse Conseil back in 2016 to promote French art de vivre. " The aim was not to redo what we were already doing in our Alain Ducasse restaurants, but to draw inspiration from them," emphasizes Jérôme Lacressonnière, director of Ducasse Conseil. We developed Ponant's culinary identity by creating almost 800 recipes. At the same time, as we also have a Ducasse school in Manila (many of the staff on board our companies are Filipino, editor's note), we launched training courses and ensured quality control."The kitchen revolution didn't happen overnight, but over the long term. In the meantime, the customer base has evolved. " Ponant used to be 80% French and 20% foreign. Today, we have 20% French and 80% American and Chinese. But it's not the same to put them in the same room. The American speaks loudly and eats differently. The Frenchman has an aperitif on the sofa and sits down to dinner at 8.30pm. All this has to be taken into account. "With the arrival of Commandant Charcot in 2021, " Ponant wanted a floating palace for Arctic and Antarctic destinations. We had to distinguish ourselves from other ships and give it a more luxury positioning. "This includes Alain Ducasse's Nuna restaurant. Ponant is also multiplying its partnerships with other top chefs - Jean-François Piège, Pierre Hermé, Mitsuru Tsukada, Christian Le Squer and even the Relais&Châteaux association. It makes you wonder if the table isn't stealing the show a little from the destination... " No, it's a whole ," asserts Jérôme Lacressonnière.

on board the MSC World Europa, Swedish chef Niklas Ekstedt, known for his wood-fired cooking in Stockholm, recently opened a table. the dishes feature microgreens grown on board, in the catering room," he explains. These choice ingredients enrich the flavors, textures and colors. "But that day, the microfoams had disappeared from the shelves, leaving the organic " farms " empty. The eye then turned to the decorative plants... made of plastic. The restaurant is one of many culinary offerings on board - including a pleasant tea room and a surprising speakeasy bar. Each week, up to 6,000 mouths of passengers (2,633 cabins) and 2,138 crew members have to be fed, which means 9,370 kg of seafood, 2,230 kg of fresh fruit, 1,970 kg of meat, 4,57070 eggs... The list is mind-boggling. This raises the question of waste, a sensitive subject on board. every day, we calculate the amount of food needed to avoid overproduction and food leftovers, based on our historical data from previous months and years," explains Bernhard Stacher, Senior Vice President, Hospitality and Catering, MSC Cruises. At the buffet, to reduce waste, we open and close sections according to passenger flow, and reduce the size of dishes. "Last year, the MSC group launched the Explora Journeys luxury and lifestyle brand, distinguished by a more refined culinary offering and a choice of restaurants at no extra charge (with the exception of the gourmet Anthology). And since passengers are captives, chef Jean-Louis Dumonet, Master Chef of France, has concocted a cooking class with a phenomenal view of the horizon, from which dolphins sometimes appear.

Here and there, cruise lines seem to play on the names and prestige of chefs to attract a clientele of gourmets. " The use of major media figures from the world of gastronomy allows cruise lines to build a brand image and identity around their branding. For internationally-renowned chefs, this means they can reach a wide audience who don't necessarily go to luxury restaurants. "And to earn comfortable fees (amounts classified as secret) that will finance the increasingly heavy running of their restaurants. Michel Roth has been working with Les Voyages de Sophie (LVDS), a free electron on the water, since 2012. Sophie Vives Apy approached the chef while he was still at the Ritz, presenting her concept: rent an entire boat and bring her own team. Michel Roth embarked on the adventure, bringing along Franck Meyer, who has been working with him for over twenty years. They were joined by pastry chef Philippe Rigollot, Meilleur ouvrier de France. The trio get on wonderfully well, to the point of helping each other out at the gourmet dinners they organize two or three times a cruise, depending on the itinerary. it's quite rare," admits Michel Roth. Sometimes we do the dessert preparation with Philippe. "Their benevolence and cheerfulness are reflected not only in the dishes, but also in the atmosphere. On the last Danube cruise, you should have seen the applause and the napkins flying in the air during their first meal! Sometimes, they create buffets and serve the passengers themselves. The three chefs remain accessible throughout the cruise. " Once a cruise, always a cruise " is their slogan. But who benefits most? The cruise passenger or the chefs? " Both," admits Michel Roth. And as if ears had heard us, a couple comes up to greet the chef. " You see, we're here! "they shout. They are regulars at the chef's table in Switzerland (Bayview, in Geneva, 4 toques in the Gault&Millau Suisse). " We followed your recommendations. "Sometimes it's the other way around. Passengers pay a visit to the chef or pastry chef discovered on board.

Everyone seems to benefit from these " business cards ". But it all depends on the size of the ship. Michel Roth remembers his early days with LVDS. " It was on a 1400-person ship. We did two shifts of 700 people. People would leave, and we'd straighten up right afterwards. We couldn't get the quality we wanted, so we stopped. "What about forbidden ingredients? " Out of superstition, rabbit will never be served at the table. Rabbits used to gnaw through ropes and sank ships," explains Alexis Quaretti, France 2023 Master Chef and Executive Director of Oceania Cruises. I got around this by creating a hare à la royale, replacing it with beef." He has twenty years at sea with the company, and has been to every restaurant. " Only once did we have to change the menu and offer cold. The sea was rough near Cape Horn. Pans were flying. It was dangerous. "Because that's what cruising at sea is all about. Flexibility is essential. Is this why cruisers rely on familiar faces rather than trying to unearth tomorrow's talents and surf new gastronomy?