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It’s been a summer of sport and now the Euros and Wimbledon have ended we are looking to the Paris 2024 Olympics. And for two UK chefs they will be in the thick of the action having been given the opportunity to be part of the massive catering operation for the Olympics and Paralympics which will be delivered by Sodexo Live! France.
Claire Townell, head chef for Sodexo Health & Care at the Leicester Nuffield Hospital and Colin Smith, executive head chef for Sodexo Live! at three football clubs/stadiums in the north west (Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End, and Wigan Athletic) have been selected to join 18 other senior chefs from Sodexo operations from around the world as part of the international chef delegation.
Claire and Colin will be joining the Sodexo Live! team at the Athletes Village where the 15,000 athletes competing will be based. The main restaurant in the village has been created in an old electrical factory and has the capacity to seat 3,500 in one sitting, it is thought to be one of the largest restaurants in the world.
On arrival in Paris after a day of two of exploring the city Claire and Colin set to work starting in-depth training including a tour of the village, the catering facilities in which they will be working and most importantly learning to cook some of the 500 dishes that have been developed specifically for the menu at the Athletes Village.
Although they have not had any involvement in the creation of the menus both are looking forward to working alongside colleagues and see this as a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills and get inspiration from the dishes they will be cooking.
For Claire the experience will be very different to her ‘day’ job where she provides around 40 meals a day for the patients and staff at the private hospital. She said: “Because I work in healthcare, I don’t have the experience of catering for large numbers at events so for me working to a larger scale is not something I am used to, but I am up for the challenge. It will be completely new for me, but I am very excited and looking forward to it.”
Each day it is anticipated the chef team will serve up to 40,000 meals. The daily menus will feature 120 specials, and around 40 different main dishes to choose from with one third of the menu offering entirely plant-based options.
Colin is a bit more practised at catering for large numbers, he says: “On match days across any of the three stadia we can be catering for up to 1,200 spectators, we are also well versed on the sports nutrition side as we also provide the catering to the teams at their training grounds. That said I am very excited and proud to be able to join my Sodexo Live! colleagues it is going to a fabulous experience.”
The menus have been created by Sodexo Live! chefs in France led by executive chef Charles Guilloy and in collaboration with a leading sports nutritionist. The recipes have been developed focusing on providing nutrition tailored to high-level athletes, with athletes from 206 countries the menus have been based on four culinary themes: France, Asia, Africa-Caribbean, and World Cuisine to satisfy diverse dietary expectations and habits.
Examples of some of the dishes Claire and Colin will be cooking are:
o Vegetarian Bourguignon (France)
o Cod purée (France)
o Minced pork with Thai basil basmati rice (Asia)
o Roasted cauliflower and potatoes with turmeric (Asia)
o Sautéed bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and chili, shakshouka (Africa/Caribbean)
o Sautéed shrimp with chermoula (Africa/Caribbean)
o Lamb with mint-infused reduced sauce (world cuisine)
o Vegetable moussaka (world cuisine)
Colin is a big fan of Greek and African cuisine and has spotted a few of dishes on the menu that he is keen to learn more about: He said: “Three jumped out for me, sautéed shrimp with chermoula, my favourite brunch dish, shakshouka, is on there and moussaka is a big one for me!”
For Claire, lamb is her favourite, and she is looking forwarded to learning to cook the lamb with mint-infused reduced sauce.
Within the restaurant there will be different sections including a salad bar offering over 30 ingredients to mix and match, a grill station with assorted garnishes, a hot buffet featuring daily specials and pasta dishes, a soup station, a cheese display, a dairy station, a dessert bar, as well as a bakery stand offering seven types of bread, a fruit display, and a condiment bar which according to Sodexo Live! will include 85 different options.
Sustainability also features heavily in the catering operation and is something Sodexo Live! is passionate about and one of the reasons it was awarded the contract. Paris 2024 has a focus on reducing the carbon footprint and a commitment to sustainability and hopes to halve the environmental impact through four key actions: reducing animal proteins, limiting food waste, reducing the use of single-use plastic, and prioritising local and seasonal products.
The use of plant-based ingredients is one of the most effective ways to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the catering service. The menus curated by Sodexo Live! will see plant-based dishes account for 30% for the Athletes Village menus and 60% of the public catering menus. 80% of the menu is being sourced from France, 25% within 15 miles of Paris. Sodexo Live! has also opted for reusable plates in the main restaurant and have in the region of 47,000 to use.
For the public there will be a 100% vegetarian offering at the Concorde urban park site located in the centre of Paris. Sodexo Live! says there’ll be 15 different recipes available and sets the bar to support consumers move towards adopting more sustainable foods as well demonstrating a more sustainable model for public catering at sporting events.
The Olympics are taking place from July 26-August 11, followed by the Paralympics from August 28-September 8. Sodexo Live! will be providing food services 24/7 and in addition to catering for the athletes and their delegations will be present at 14 Olympics competition venues and 8 Paralympic venues for the general public.
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