the world of cooking meets in Luxembourg
Created in 1972, Expogast returns, like every four years, to Luxexpo The Box accompanied by the Culinary World Cup. From all over the world, hundreds of gastronomy and tableware professionals are expected.
“It’s a very important moment for winegrowers and I know it’s difficult for you to get around. But it was unthinkable that you weren’t part of the party.” It is in the heart of the Remich vineyards, at the Institut viti-vinicole, that Morgan Gromy, the general manager of Luxexpo The Box, chose to present himself on Friday the 14e edition of Expogast. “We come to your house, it’s symbolic. We have the impression of participating a little in the harvest.”
The event, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, returns, as every four years, to Luxexpo The Box and is available, on the one hand, in a show dedicated to tableware and gastronomy and, on the other , in a culinary competition supported by Villeroy & Boch: the Culinary World Cup.
“Everyone brings the best they have”
“It feels like a big family reunion,” continues Morgan Gromy. “Most of you were already here four years ago. It’s a bit like a Spanish inn. Everyone brings their best and in the end the party is very successful.” In front of him, an audience of professionals who will soon meet, from November 26 to 30, alongside 200 exhibitors from all over the world to discover many products from their respective regions. But the program also includes conferences, recruitment actions, exhibitions, culinary shows and product demonstrations.
If this meeting will allow everyone to discover new flavors, it is also a great international showcase for the Grand Duchy. Tens of thousands of visitors (45,000 in 2018) are indeed expected. “Fifty-five countries will talk about Luxembourg: Europe, the United States, Singapore, China, Australia… and even France! These five days will allow Luxembourg to confront the rest of the world.”
In preparation for two years
Yet this 14e editing might not have taken place. Organized every four years, Expogast has escaped the pandemic years, but such an event is prepared well in advance. “We have a problem of inertia and time. We have to start preparing a year and a half, two years in advance.” At that time, between the beginning of a return to normal life and the shadow of the Omicron variant, visibility was not clear for Luxexpo. “But we got used to adapting. Barring an unmanageable crisis, we knew we were going to do it, ”says Morgan Gromy. The organizer has fortunately been able to count on its partners such as Villeroy & Boch, which provides “just over 10,000 plates” for the competition, or the Horesca and the School of Hotel Management and Tourism of Diekirch, essential for the event logistics.
SUMO on the plate
This year, Expogast and the Culinary World Cup have chosen to work with the artist SUMO to brighten up this 14th edition with his style. “We had invited him to the School of Hospitality and Tourism in Diekirch so that he could create a painting there”, confides Alain Hostert, the president of the Horesca, who then offered to apply it with them. on this year’s contest. The idea was to transcribe a good meal into an image. “He took a paper out of his pocket on which he had drawn a character making the famous gesture with his two fingers which shows that we have eaten well.” Alain Hostert quickly proposed this illustration to Villeroy & Boch, who had it printed on plates: “They will be awarded to the first three in each competition. But we also have cups that we will give to all participants and which will not be for sale.
Competitors from all over the world
Alain Hostert, the president of the Horesca, was also present at the Institut viti-vinicole to recall the main lines of the competition. “We get 15 national, youth and military teams, 28 regional teams and 400 individual exhibitors.” During these five days, all these teams will have to show their know-how to their juries, interpreted this year by Carlo Sauber, during various events. “The nationals and the young people must prepare a menu for, respectively, 110 and 75 people. Every day, the jurors taste their dish. For the second part, they have to prepare a buffet for 12 people, including people from the public, who judge them on the meal, but also on their way of serving customers.
The restaurant des Nations is back
The other teams measure themselves in various competitions, in particular sculpture (chocolate, parmesan, ice cream, vegetables, etc.). “For the first time, we are also organizing the Gelato Cup, an ice cream competition that will serve as a European pre-selection for the world championships in Rimini, Italy.” The winners will leave with a plate decorated by the Luxembourg artist SUMO (see box).
The nerve center of the event, the restaurant des Nations will also be back. “We offer 4,300 menus which will be on sale on the internet from October 25.” For 69 euros, it will be possible to book a meal including an aperitif and three courses. “We also offer a selection of wines.” Be careful, however, in previous editions, reservations left in a few hours. “But we always keep a few to put on sale on the spot. Every day, we can accommodate 450 people at noon and 680 in the evening,” assures Alain Hostert. Enough to make the restaurant des Nations, like the whole event, the biggest gastronomy in the world.