Zacharie Zeilig wins the first edition of the "La cuisine durable" competition

The Fondation pour la Cuisine Durable By Olivier Ginon is behind the birth of this competition. The idea? To promote best practices and the pillars of sustainable cuisine, to put the producer back in the spotlight, and to re-establish communication between the chef and the producers. On September 18, 2023, eight young chefs faced off in the kitchens of the CFA de la Gastronomie, located in Marcy-l'Étoile, near Lyon.

The challenge was clear: to design, in just three hours, a vegetarian dish for eight diners, presented in eight containers, featuring meat beans and Bresse chili supplied by "Mes Producteur Mes Cuisiniers". A jury, co-chaired by chefs Christian Têtedoie and Christophe Hay, then listened carefully to the candidates during an oral test, during which they had to justify the sustainable criteria incorporated into their recipe.

Environmentally-friendly gastronomy

So, what does it mean to cook sustainably? In addition to working with seasonal ingredients, participants were required to incorporate elements such as waste reduction, respect for air quality, the use of environmentally-friendly utensils, etc., into their recipes.use of environmentally-friendly utensils, sustainable tableware, and efficient management of energy resources in their culinary design and execution.

"Interpreting sustainability isn't easy, but the idea of this competition was to promote good practices to as many people as possible, while at the same time creating a link between people and the environment.the idea of this competition was to promote best practices to as many people as possible, while creatinglinks and human relationships that go beyond sourcing", commented Marie-Odile Fondeur, Managing Director of the Fondation pour la Cuisine Durable. After an intense day of competition, Zacharie Zeilig, chef atAuberge La Fénière in Cadenet (84), took first place. And opens the way to a new way of cooking.