FAIRE DE DIJON: “It’s 100% gastronomy, it’s also 100% Côte-d’Or”, according to François Sauvadet
The president of the departmental council of Côte-d’Or was “the star” of an official inauguration which took place, behind the scenes, politically this Saturday, October 30. “The Côte-d’Or is a part of Burgundy-Franche-Comté”, however noted the vice-president of the Region Michel Neugnot.
Gastronomy and the arts of the table are linked, the Table de Lucullus takes pride of place in Hall 1 of the Dijon Exhibition and Convention Center. This year, in order to no longer generate food waste, the round table is putting on light to “put on a show” with video mapping.
This Saturday, October 31, 2021, was the starting point for the inaugural stroll of the centenary of the Dijon International and Gastronomic Fair. An inauguration that turned out to be just as political as the presentation of the fair made a few days earlier by Jean Battault, president of Dijon Congrexpo (read our article).
Takeover from the right and the center on the inauguration
By a presence in number of their representatives, the right, the center-right of Dijon and the Côte-d’Oriens made a real takeover bid on the inauguration, the left to the minimum portion. In terms of protocol already, François Sauvadet (LCOP) being the only president of the community present – the departmental council of Côte-d’Or in this case – the centrist easily captured the attention. Especially since the absence of a country invited to the fair results in the absence of a foreign ambassador at the inauguration and, consequently, of a representative of the State.
The Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region was represented by Michel Neugnot (PS), first vice-president, and Christian Morel (without label), vice-president in charge of agriculture, viticulture and agrifood. The two regional elected officials had to patiently wait for the end of the stroll to intervene.
The City of Dijon was represented by Sladana Zivkovic (PS), deputy mayor of Dijon delegate for Europe, international relations, tourism and congress, while the Metropolis of Dijon was represented by Danielle Juban (without label), Vice-president in charge of economic development, attractiveness, fairs and exhibitions. The delegation being part of the Table of Luccullus, there was no passage through the common area of the City and the Metropolis of Dijon at the entrance of the park and therefore no intervention of the two elected officials.
In addition, were notably present the councilors of the departmental majority Joël Abbey, Marie-Claire Bonnet-Vallet, Céline Vialet and Denis Thomas, Jacques Carrelet de Loisy (without label), mayor of Hauteville-lès-Dijon, Fabian Ruinet (LR- Agir), mayor of Talant, Pierre Pribetich (PS), vice-president of Dijon Métropole, Jean-Philippe Morel (MRSL), municipal councilor of Dijon, as well as the councilors of the Dijon municipal opposition Emmanuel Bichot (LR), Laurent Bourguignat (LR-Libres), Stéphane Chevalier (various right), Henri-Bénigne de Vrégille (Agir) and Claire Vuillemin (Agir).
It’s raining in Hall 1
For this hundredth edition, while the Covid-19 epidemic is not yet over, Dijon Congrexpo has chosen to ignore the official speeches and the glass of friendship that usually closed the inauguration. A way also to pass the settling of scores with speckled foils between the municipality and the association which regularly punctuated these speeches.
However, litigation will reappear around a stand when a restaurateur calls out to the delegation: “it’s raining in the building”. Indeed, while a driving rain fell outside, several square meters of carpet were revealed inside Hall 1.
The situation amused some participants but made Jean Battault laugh yellow, who did not fail to take charge of the waterproofing work incumbent on the City of Dijon.
In this building chapter, it should be noted that large gray tubes streak the sky of Hall 1. These are air extractors installed in the context of the health crisis.
Like a Game of Thrones with silver cutlery
After having launched the video mapping of the Table of Luccullus signed by the graphic designer from Dijon, Antoine Legras, Jean Battault unveiled a sculpture made on the model of the Game of Thrones’ Game of Thrones, not in swords but in welded cutlery.
In its archives, Dijon Congrexpo recently found 200 kg of silver cutlery engraved with the number of the “Palais des expositions”. The association to be entrusted to the sculptor Yves Roulleau, based in Norges-la-Ville, the task of creating a work from these cutlery. The artist has chosen to evoke “a woman’s body marrying a wave”.
The sculpture entitled “The Origin of Gastronomy in Dijon” is intended to be exhibited in the reception hall of the Palais des Congrès, so as to “call to each visitor that the International and Gastronomic Fair which takes place there each year is the cradle of gastronomy in Dijon ”.
“One hundred years of the fair, it’s 100% gastronomy, it’s also 100% Côte-d’Or”
After the cultural unveilings, the first taste stopover is at the Delin cheese dairy stand where François Sauvadet first encountered the Côte-d’Or cheese that Michel Neugnot likes to taste. The tone is set.
A little further on, in place of the old “Quartier des Saveurs”, a large space is jointly occupied by the departmental council and the chamber of agriculture, which to promote the “Savoir-faire 100% Côte-d” brand. “Gold”, which will draw attention to the “Bienvenue à la ferme” network. During the fair, nine chefs will follow one another to animate a culinary space. At the same time, a shop allows you to buy local products
On a stand are busy Jean-Alain Poitevin (chef of the Château de Chailly golf hotel), Takashi Kinoshita (chef of the Château de Courban) and Guillaume Royer (head of the Abbaye de la Bussière), ambassadors of the departmental brand , who give a chef’s jacket to François Sauvadet.
“One hundred years of the fair, it’s 100% gastronomy, it’s also 100% Côte-d’Or”, launches the president of the Department who insists that “the solid partnership that we have forged with the fair”. “We do nothing great without worrying about those for whom our policies will be aimed, that is to say those who produce and those who consume can ensure our commitment,” he adds.
“Go to the kitchens, it’s a great job”
The former space for “Gourmet Meetings” has become the “Chef’s Stage” which will be videotaped according to the demonstrations carried out by the chefs of the Association of Cooks of the Côte-d’Or. There, François Sauvaet was inducted into the Amicale and the fair’s godfather, Christian Têtedoie, was particularly requested by Stéphane Derbord, president of the Amicale, and Françoise Colin, honorary president.
François Sauvadet met the emphasis on professions that recruit in order to “attract new young people to jobs where they are needed”. And to add: “it is the moment to repeat: go in the kitchens, in the rooms, it is a beautiful job. France is what it is quite simply thanks to you ”.
Manager of the Hôtel Bourgogne Qualité group, Patrick Jacquier welcomes the delegation to the gourmet restaurant of the fair where the chefs of the four Dijon restaurants in his group are active in the kitchen. If the art of the table will indeed be generated during the services, communication is not forgotten with a large photocall available to gourmets.
“The Côte-d’Or is part of Burgundy-Franche-Comté”
After passing through the international village – bringing together commercial and catering spaces from Canada, Italy, Ireland and Ukraine – the delegation arrives in dispersed order in front of the stand of the Bourgogne-Franche regional council- County.
This year, the institutional stand has the particularity of being small, but being located in the middle of restaurants and tasting stands as well as near the Table de Lucullus. First, the stand in front of the Vallée de la Gastronomie, which goes from Dijon to Cassis (read the press release), offering tastings of Burgundy and Franche-Comté cheeses. Secondly, the regional tourism committee will take over.
“We are back for the duration of the fair”, launches Michel Neugnot, welcoming the delegation, “we also have to say the joy of the development of the City of gastronomy and wine. [lire notre article], the fact that Dijon will be the UN Wine [lire notre article], which will give an audience even greater than anything we were already doing ”.
“François Sauvadet has been the star of this inauguration so far, but Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. I would point out that the Côte-d’Or is part of Burgundy-Franche-Comté ”, slips the first vice-president of the Region. “It’s true”, opines in response the former elected representative of the regional opposition.
“Dijon is in this Valley of Gastronomy”, Christian Morel in turn points out, “the Region is capable of creating a link between all these good products, Burgundy and Franche-Comté, there is a symbiosis that must be found. The chefs know how to sublimate all the Burgundy-Franche-Comté products to have beautiful tables ”.
The latest news from regional agrifood companies will also be unveiled on this stand because, as Christian Morel indicates to conclude the stroll through this “100% gastronomy” fair, “there is no cuisine without innovation”.
Jean-Christophe Tardivon
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