Fundamental to the health of the ocean floor, seaweed has become emblematic of Hugo Roellinger’s cuisine.
Committed to protecting marine resources since 2009, Relais & Châteaux takes you to the world’s far-flung atolls to meet extraordinary underwater fauna, along with its partner, Blancpain, a staunch defender of the great hammerhead shark.
Seaweed has been consumed and celebrated in Japan for thousands of years. Its delicious salinity exemplifies the taste of umami. Two celebrated Japanese chefs talk about their passion for this oceanic culinary wonder food – and their concerns for its future.
In Relais & Châteaux properties around the world, seaweed is used in a variety of ways, embodying a way to live in harmony with the sea while respecting the rich resources found therein.
Travelers today face a dilemma between the desire to enjoy unique experiences and their ability to live according to their ecological convictions. How can they reconcile this environmental responsibility when the very principle of travel is to move from one place to another?
Emblematic of the mischievous Gallic sense of humor, “April Fish Day” (April 1st) is the French version of April Fools’ Day. In honour of this curious custom, we invite you to sample some of April's greatest catches from rivers, lakes and seas the world over, courtesy of our amazing chefs.
Julien Dumas, the new chef of the Saint James in Paris, tells us about a cheese that he enjoyed as a child, Persillé de Tignes. This excellent product represents the commitment required from chefs everywhere to protect the environment and its biodiversity.
Kumatiya, a small, spiny tree typical of Rajasthan, has a great deal of appeal. In addition to being a part of the territory’s traditional agroforestry system and a source of complementary revenue with its gum arabic, it also offers a gratifying gourmet treat: its seeds.
The Gravenstein apple is a symbol of the Sonoma County community. Brought here by Russian trappers in the early 19th century, it has provided food and drink for the locals for many years. Today its orchards are threatened by the success of the region’s vineyards.
“Black chicken, authentic chicken.” This Tuscan saying expresses just how firmly rooted pollo nero del Valdarno truly is here. As part of the Food for Change campaign by Slow Food, we set out to encounter this passenger aboard the Ark of Taste.
In the face of industrial agriculture and standardized diets, we need a Noah’s Ark of foods. One that protects the foods that make our cuisine so special: the ingredients that express the talents of our region. A treasure to carry forward for the future of our tastebuds and our countrysides.
United Nations World Oceans Day, celebrated on June 8, is designed to raise public awareness about the importance of better managing the oceans and their resources.
"There would be no life on Earth without the seas." For United Nations' World Oceans Day theme of "The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods", nearly 200 Relais & Châteaux join forces for an Ode to Shellfish to support the growth and development of a sustainable blue economy.
Sarah Wyndham Lewis, professional Honey Sommelier, embarks on a Relais & Chateaux honey trail through 5 beekeeping properties, highlighting their fierce commitment to safeguarding bees and the environment.
While blessed with a culinary culture that prominently features seafood, the premier Japanese chefs of Relais & Châteaux are concerned about their environment. Four eco-conscious culinary figures share their vision of change.
Massimiliano Alajmo of Le Calandre, 3-star Michelin in Italy, unveils a never-before-published recipe to food activist and educator Charles Michel showcasing Chioggia Marina Pumpkin.
A steward of sustainability, two-Michelin-star Chef Shinobu Namae of L’Effervescence walks Charles Michel, food activist and educator, through an enchanting story about how everything is connected, from ocean to dish. The hero of the story is shottsuru, a traditional Japanese fish sauce.
Chef Pedro Bargero of Chila Restaurant shines a light on amaranth, a nutritional powerhouse that may be one of the keys to solving global food security.
Chef Krista Garcia of Hawaii's Hotel Wailea joins food activist and educator Charles Michel in an in-depth conversation about the protein-rich superfruit 'ulu. Also known as Hawaiian breadfruit, it's an ingredient on Slow Food International’s Ark of Taste catalogue.
Since Relais & Châteaux proclaimed its culturally - and environmentally - focused Vision to UNESCO in 2014, members have all committed to acting responsibly as part of the food system, which is more important than ever in the context of the global health crisis.
The three-star Mirazur in Menton is the world’s first restaurant to be certified “Plastic Free.” What’s more, by replacing single-use plastics with compostable alternatives, the staff has developed a permaculture garden. A virtuous circle for the restaurant – and the planet.
Chef Peter Tempelhoff of Cape Town's Ellerman House drives innovation for World Oceans Day by cooking sustainably. Co-hosted with the United Nations in partnership with Oceanic Global and Ethic Ocean, this series showcases six R&C chefs' commitment to promoting ethical sea- and plant-based meals.
Chef David Kinch of California's Manresa, drives innovation for World Oceans Day by cooking sustainably. Co-hosted with the United Nations and in partnership with Oceanic Global and Ethic Ocean, this series showcases six R&C chefs' commitment to promoting ethical sea- and plant-based meals.
Chef Enrique Olvera of Mexico City's Pujol, drives innovation for World Oceans Day by cooking sustainably. Co-hosted with the United Nations and in partnership with Oceanic Global and Ethic Ocean, this series showcases six R&C chefs' commitment to promoting ethical sea- and plant-based meals.
Chef Michael Caines of UK's Lympstone Manor drives innovation for World Oceans Day by cooking sustainably. Co-hosted with the United Nations and in partnership with Oceanic Global and Ethic Ocean, this series showcases six R&C chefs' commitment to promoting ethical sea- and plant-based meals.
Chef Vicky Lau of the Hong Kong's Tate Dining Room drives innovation for World Oceans Day by cooking sustainably. Co-hosted with the United Nations and in partnership with Oceanic Global and Ethic Ocean, this series showcases six R&C chefs' commitment to promoting ethical sea- and plant-based meals.
Chef Jason Bangerter of the Canada's Langdon Hall drives innovation for World Oceans Day by cooking sustainably. Co-hosted with the United Nations and in partnership with Oceanic Global and Ethic Ocean, this series showcases six R&C chefs' commitment to promoting ethical sea- and plant-based meals.
On June 8, to mark the United Nations’ World Oceans Day, Relais & Châteaux properties take a proactive stand for marine biodiversity.
Laurent Petit, at the helm of Le Clos des Sens since 1992, has let his thinking change with time, be it about his cuisine or his restaurant. Awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide, he shook loose of his classical training and preconceived notions to hone an identity centered on nature and people.
In the Netherlands, Chef Jef Schuur of Bij Jef has created his own unique cuisine sourced from his natural surroundings. He shares his gastronomic world with other Northern- and Eastern-European chefs through exchanged ideas, experiences, and support.
Set off on an around-the-world journey to discover our members’ sustainable, socially supportive initiatives. In Peru, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Marie-Hélène Miribel has created Sol y Luna, a hotel that generates the resources to fund a local school, home to 200 students.
At Tuscany’s Borgo San Felice, the chef uses vegetables from the restaurant’s organic garden, which is tended by workers with disabilities. A meaningful agricultural project that nourishes both sustainable and social development.
Since he arrived at L’Oustau de Baumanière, Glenn Viel has made it a point of honor to cultivate a garden that respects the rhythm of nature, to raise animals, to minimize waste. Meet a role model.
In the small town of Ébreuil in central France, Chef Évelyne Debourg just received the François Rabelais prize, which recognizes individuals for their work in promoting food cultural heritage in France and throughout the world.
Relais & Châteaux gift boxes now come in pouches made in South Africa from... plastic bottles! The Joinery, a local South African lifestyle brand, has perfected this astounding technology.
Food on the Edge, the quintessential Irish food event taking place in Galway this October 21 and 22, will play host to several Relais & Châteaux chefs as they share their commitment to sustainable fishing.
From October 3rd to 6th, the chefs of Relais et Châteaux take part in the international event Food for Change to combat climate change and protect biodiversity. Watch the videos of their favorite products in Instants !
From the North Sea, the English Channel, the Mediterranean, the China Sea, to the Pacific, not a month goes by without scientists around the world alerting us to the gradual disappearance of wild fish. Should we be worried? Definitely. Can we do something about it? Most certainly.
From October 4th to 7th, the chefs of Relais et Châteaux take part in the international event Food for Change to combat climate change and protect biodiversity. Watch the videos of their favorite products in Instants !
Relais & Châteaux and Slow Food first joined forces two years ago in an initiative called Food for Change, organizing events to raise awareness of the planetary consequences of our food choices. Meet four chefs taking part in this delicious revolution.
Château d’Audrieu in the Normandy countryside is immensely pleased with having hired Nazar, a young Afghan man with boundless determination. Here is one story born of the partnership between Relais & Châteaux and the Refugee Food Festival, helping refugees start new lives through cuisine.
Arnaud Faye is the two-Michelin-star chef at La Chèvre d’Or in Èze, southeastern France. The establishment, perched on a promontory, is blessed with an idyllic setting and a culinary commander, just named a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, who leads his staff with gentle strength.
At La Côte Saint-Jacques, Jean-Michel Lorain is proving that sustainability can be at the heart of a high-end hotel and dining experience. We visited the chef in Burgundy to get an insight into his ecological commitments and the association he founded.
Exploring “lesser-known” fish means demonstrating that we can source outside the array of mass-market seafood and choose fish that aren’t threatened with extinction by virtue of finicky human consumption.
30% of global fish stocks are overexploited, 60% are fully exploited. To mark World Oceans Day, more than 200 Relais & Châteaux chefs are demonstrating their long-standing commitment to protecting marine resources and fighting overfishing, a pledge they honor by cooking unknown fishes.
In a world at contretemps, food may be the one thing that brings us together. It is so precious that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security even established The National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) in 2004.
Cédric Béchade honed his craft at the finest establishments and could have pursued a lofty path of technically sophisticated cuisine. Instead, he chose to settle in the Basque Country as an environmentally conscientious innkeeper.
Michel Guérard no longer needs any introduction. Since the passing of Paul Bocuse, he and Pierre Troisgros are the last remaining activists of the great revolution of French chefs. At a lively 86 years of age, he remains a determined campaigner for healthy cuisine that could change the world.
Europe’s seabass stocks are being hit hard by unsustainable fishing practices. If, we hope to continue eating this fish, we must no longer buy it during its spawning period. Relais & Châteaux chefs are taking the lead on this initiative by avoiding seabass in their menus in February and March.
Argentinean-born Mauro Colagreco opened Mirazur restaurant in 2006 (3 Michelin stars, ranked No. 3 in the 50 Best). This committed cook has never forgotten where he came from. "Origenes" is his pet project. He tells us more about it in the first interview our "60 seconds for a better world" series.
As a little boy, Hugo Roellinger listened eagerly to the bedtime stories told by his father, Olivier Roellinger, a former three-star chef and Vice President of Relais & Châteaux. Former sailor, Hugo returned to world of cooking at Le Coquillage, the Michelin-starred family restaurant in Cancale.
Julien Dumas has headed the kitchens of Lucas Carton, a Paris institution steeped in the legacy of an extraordinary chef, Alain Senderens. Dumas, a Grenoble native, has managed to create a personal style of cuisine, with local ingredients, to leave his own mark on the French culinary landscape.
China, the USA, Australia... even Brazil: many of the world’s countries have banned electric pulse fishing. Europe did too, but is subject to derogations for commercial purposes. Relais & Châteaux is committed to working with the Bloom association to ban it permanently in Europe.
Artists around the world collaborate with Mother Nature in a range of unique creations featuring one of the most vital creatures on Earth – the honeybee.