CONSTANCE FESTIVAL CULINARY 2023

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as the Bocuse d'Or where they stood out and reached the final. There is a huge interest in holding this event in Mauritius, which is an island of fine food," she told us. This year, we were honoured by the presence of a celebrity and great ambassador of Mauritian cuisine, Shelina Permalloo (British Chef, author and 2012 winner of BBC's MasterChef ), and also judge of the Bernard Loiseau Trophy. "My passion actually is to see Chefs grow and be mentored by other experimented Chefs. I want to give opportunities to others to change their lives, as MasterChef changed my life. I have been a judge at several competitions, but the Constance Culinary Festival is closer to my heart because I love the idea of allowing the Chefs of Constance to progress and learn in the company of the best Chefs in the world," she said before the competitions began. Another nice surprise of this edition was the chocologist Victoire Finaz, a Parisian celebrity who discovered Mauritius and its gastronomy. She explained to us her passion for chocolate and psychology, which she now shares with the pastry Chefs (see below). The festival also innovated by inviting Constance's fans and food lovers to participate in the festival and take part in the decisions! The centrepieces of the four main competitions were available on the Constance website and everyone was invited to vote for the winning dishes.

The 16 th edition of the Constance Culinary Festival did not disappoint, far from it! Indeed, all the elements were gathered to make this essential event of the Indian Ocean gastronomy, a real success, and above all a moment filled with emotions. Starred Chefs, young talented Chefs, celebrities from the world of catering and memorable moments of sharing and emotion, everything was there to the greatest delight of the epicureans who were present from 11 th to 19 th March. This year's festival included four main competitions, eight special dinners and three master classes held over a week at Constance Belle Mare Plage and Constance Prince Maurice. As in previous years, the festival was marked by the presence of great names such as Pierre Hermé, the World's Best Pastry Chef 2016 according to the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" ranking, Patrick Bertron (Chef at the 2-star Relais Bernard Loiseau restaurant), Olivier Poussier (Best Sommelier 2000), Orjan Johanessen (Bocuse D'or 2015), blogger Mercotte, now a key figure of the festival. "This is my tenth time in Mauritius, the Constance Culinary Festival is an event that I love and that I make sure not to miss. It is also a festival that promotes local gastronomy and this is reflected in the performances of Mauritian Chefs in other competitions such Constance Culinary Festival: Sharing and passion mark the 16th edition of the Indian Ocean gastronomic event

All this allowed those present to experience a great moment of conviviality and sharing to which we look forward in 2024.

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