Air France: Olivier Perret signs the new business class menu (Interview)
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This is a first for Chef Perret, who will sign this culinary experience reserved for Air France business class passengers departing from Canada, specifically Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City and Vancouver.
At the Bocuse d’Or 2023, an international cooking competition in Lyon, Air France announced the chefs who will create the airline’s new menus this year. The Executive Chef of the Renoir Restaurant at the Sofitel Montreal Le Carré Doré is one of 17 international chefs who will prepare the meals served on board Air France and in the lounges.
Here are the selected chefs: Alain Ducasse, Amandine Chaignot, Angelo Musa, Anne-Sophie Pic, Arnaud Lallement, Chloé Charles, Emmanuel Renaut, Guy Martin, Jofrane Dailly, Julien Royer, Mauro Colagreco, Michel Roth, Olivier Niquet, Régis Marcon, Philippe Urraca, Servair François Adamski and Thierry Marx.
It is a great honour for me to be part of this group. I have to pinch myself because I feel like I’m dreaming and haven’t woken up yet,” Olivier Perret told us.
The inspiration
Olivier Perret told Milesopedia that he worked for a long time in the farmers’ markets of Burgundy (France), and that this allowed him to develop a genuine appreciation for fresh and local products. He favors this exchange with local producers, which he believes is the first step in creating great dishes.
This is where he draws his inspiration to create new recipes and, above all, to put forward the flavours of Quebec.
I am a maple ambassador, so this is a flavour that will be featured on the Air France menu. I was also inspired by local and seasonal products, such as root vegetables and local cheeses, to create these new recipes.
With nearly 15 years of experience in the kitchen in several Sofitel in America, Chef Perret moved to Montreal, where he worked in several renowned French restaurants. Among other things, he is a member of the Culinary Academy of France, the Master Chef of France organization and has held the title of Maple Ambassador since 2018.
Although the menu will remain faithful to French gastronomy, it was important for Olivier Perret to honour Quebec culture:
I really appreciate the bon vivant and friendly side of the people here that you feel when you live in Quebec,” he said.
The details of the menu are still a secret, but when Olivier Perret was asked about his culinary favourites in terms of dishes and ingredients, he emphasized his love for maple and Quebec cheeses (Blackburn cheddar and Louis d’Or, to name a few).
We can therefore expect a few classics of French gastronomy combined with the best ingredients from Quebec; something to delight the taste buds of passengers from both continents.
The process
The recipe development process went fairly quickly; Olivier Perret took the plunge on this project in the fall and had to create no less than twelve recipes, six of which would be selected. As one might imagine, creating dishes that will be served in the air comes with its own set of challenges; there are many steps to consider that differ from those in a restaurant.
And for the regulars of the Renoir, we couldn’t help but ask him if there would be any similarities between the menu of the Sofitel Montreal restaurant Le Carré Doré and the one of the Air France business class.
I can’t reveal anything at the moment, but there will undoubtedly be some similarities adjusted to airplane gastronomy challenges.
It is an honour to be able to introduce the richness of French gastronomy to Air France customers through my various dishes. Air France’s responsible approach, preferring local, fresh and seasonal products and systematically offering a vegetarian option, goes hand in hand with my approach when I prepare the dishes at Le Renoir. This first collaboration inspires me a lot: it’s the beginning of a beautiful and great adventure”, says Chef Perret.
Bottom Line
Do you travel on Air France?
Stay tuned as we will soon unveil this menu with Quebec ingredients and French flavor, and you can try it for yourself starting May 1st.
To try out Air France’s business class with miles, the KLM and Air France Flying Blue rewards program allows you to collect miles and redeem them for award tickets. You can earn Flying Blue miles in Canada with American Express Membership Rewards cards. These Membership Rewards points can be transferred into Flying Blue Miles at a ratio of 1,000 Membership Rewards points = 1,000 Flying Blue Miles.
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