The Route du Gout has ended on a high note and HelloMonaco was there with Paolo Sari to sing its praises!
Held in Monaco for 3 years running by the association Bio Chef Global Spirit with Monte-Carlo Beach’s Michelin-starred chef Paolo Sari as its president, La Route du Goût (The Road to Taste) has become Monaco’s number one organic food festival.
HelloMonaco went to the Monte Carlo Country Club, at the starting gate of this year’s Route du Gout to find out from Paolo Sari himself what special events he had in store.
Most of all we wanted to hear from the master himself what would make him most proud as the Route du Gout 2017 unfurled to the applause of the enthusiastic audience.
“I never lose sight of our goal, not for a single moment, to convince the world of the benefits of organic food – to look to the future and promote a new awareness of the importance of a sustainable and healthy food supply. Everybody wins – it benefits our growers and the ecology, it benefits our local economies, including our local organic markets – and as a chef and a consumer myself it delights me to participate in quick fresh delivery of tasteful dishes in our restaurants and on the table at home.”
“And, for example,” continues Paulo Sari, “I am proud to be involved with The Principality of Monaco when this week-end Monaco’s Quai Antione plays a starring role in broadcasting this message. The inauguration of its floating market exhibit Moses. Bio will be the first biodynamic farming land floating on the sea. And Quai Antoine also plays host to a Bio market the “Market of Flavours where visitors to the Route du Gout will be able to discover and taste organic products.”
Paulo reminisces, “You know, when I came to Monaco to the beautiful restaurant Elsa, at Monte Carlo Beach, I wanted to change the culture of buying,” reflects Paolo. “I wanted to know everything about where the deliveries came from – from the meat and fish to the sage and garlic. Now I want everyone in the Principality and beyond to have the opportunity to see, to taste, and buy wonderful Bio products and get engaged to promote our Bio movement in support of a healthier world. This is one of my dreams”
The interview continues as Paolo warms to one of his favourite themes which he presents with passion: “And I am particularly proud of our emphasis on the involvement of children. So you will see we even have a tennis tournament for children – to be held here at MCCC. And we have our culinary competition for children aged 8 to 12 in the kitchens of Monte Carlo Beach, where 10 children from Monaco will accompany 10 chefs of the Principality. Each pair, Chef plus child, will be in culinary competition for the preparation of the Friday evening big event the great Organic Gala Dinner.”
And why the emphasis on children?
“Because they are the future – if they understand and appreciate Bio then we build toward a more sustainable, more healthy planet.”
Paolo concludes with his engaging smile:
“I am proud of each and every one of this year’s events. Our program is rich in content. We are associated with wonderful humanitarian causes. We work in the spirit of the Principality which embraces humanitarian causes such as these. It is difficult to say what inspires me the most but contributing to these humanitarian causes is certainly one of the memories I will always cherish.”
The Route du Gout 2017 ended on a high note with Saturday’s emphasis on BIO’s global advances – an event titled “CHEFS LOVE THE PLANET”. The iconic RIVA boats and 9 “Michelin Star” chefs hosted a public hungry to have an opportunity to taste BIO cuisine at its finest – and last but not least, of course, a magnificent philanthropic dinner.
Dear to the heart of Paolo Sari are charitable projects
This Michelin starred chef waxes enthusiastically to HelloMonaco about one of his main aims which is to provide new infrastructure for the Felix School Foundation in Madagascar and start construction work on the “Institut Hôtelier et Culinaire Biologique Moné et Paolo Sari,” a training centre for the hotel trade and organic cookery. This new building will allow the training over a period of 2 years of up to 20 children. This training corresponds to a real need of Madagascar, whose tourism sector is one of the pillars of the local economy and job creation. Paolo’s vision includes scholarships for apprenticeships in the finest culinary establishments in Monaco which will no doubt serve to create of the bio chefs of tomorrow. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation works in Madagascar to protect the environment and the promotion of sustainable development. Its actions focus essentially on Health, Poverty Alleviation and Education.
The second charitable objective is to raise money to help restore the G. Lucatelli school in Tolentino, Le Marche, Italy, which was damaged by earthquakes in 2016.
“It’s unimaginably sad”, says Paola. “It’s so much worse than the typical tragedy because of the constant fear, the constant and many earthquakes over the months following which is so destructive not only of rescue efforts but also to the local economy. We have to help get the cycle going again of farming and tourism.”
The Marche region has rich land and a great tourist potential. The earthquake that struck this area during the August 2016 – January 2017 period created considerable damage not only to the economy but also at the core of the community including its school facilities.The city council has provided accommodation and temporary schools, in order to resume teaching as soon as possible.
The Association BIO Chef Global Spirit presided over by Paolo Sari has decided to assist the G. Lucatelli school of Tolentino in its reconstruction to help children and their families regain their normal daily life.
“We will use the funds raised during the Route du Goût to assist in the reconstruction of the school, to improve the reception of children and to equip the classrooms with everything necessary to be able to teach. At the same time, we will include in the educational syllabus bio-nutrition. This will involve all students, from kindergarten to secondary, who will learn about bio-nutrition in a specially created organic kitchen garden. The vision is to revive the economy, including tourism and bring about a healthy restoration of this magnificent region of Italy. The young graduates of the Lucatelli School will be the ambassadors of tomorrow for this recovery project following the terrible earthquakes they all experienced,” says Paolo.
