The first “Cuncertu per i picinìn”, otherwise known as “Baby Concert”, was held on Thursday, February 15, at the l’Ile aux bambin nursery at 3 Promenade Honoré II.
Pupils of the Musical Class of the Academy Rainier III sang songs and played instruments to the young children of the crèche, in the presence of Mayor Georges Marsan, Councillor Chloe Boscagli-Leclercq, Delegate for Early Childhood, and Karyn Ardisson-Salopek, Delegate to the Academy Rainier III, co-initiators of the project.
Jacques Pastor, deputy to the Mayor, was also present.
The teachers of the Rainier III Academy had concocted a varied and didactic programme, including a Polka and a Russian dance, body percussion and a traditional Irish Waltz, without forgetting children’s tunes such as En allant me promener j’ai rencontré les grenouilles, Hirondelles, Coccinelle, demoiselle and Chocolat.
“To do a Burberry: meaning to successfully revive a famous but moribund heritage name.”
I’m killing time before lunch at Le Castelroc restaurant on The Rock with the latest copy of Vogue magazine as Alexandra Schulman’s prescient words jump out at me. I have grabbed an outdoor table beside a pretty stone folly to best admire the picture-perfect views: I gaze on one side past cannon-ball pyramids towards the Princely Palace and on the other side down the rocky escarpment towards the sea. No other restaurant in Monaco can rival this location.
Run by the Bonafède family since 1953, Le Castelroc restaurant is synonymous with Monaco heritage. Francis Bonafède is the Godfather of Monegasque cuisine. He ran by the Monegasque motto “cun de pan e de vin se po invita u vizin” (With bread and wine, you can invite your neighbour to dine). His legendary Stockfish stew recipe has helped to keep four generations of Bonafède restaurateurs in business.
In 2007, I celebrated my daughter’s christening here with a glamorous crowd of friends revelling in champagne, barbajuans (Swiss-chard fritters) and a towering profiterole christening cake. A photo of me against the backdrop of the palace with Baby Dior christening present bags slung over each shoulder caused endless jokes amongst old Cambridge University friends that I had found my inner jetsetter at last.
A decade later, I’m taken aback by the state of the place. The first thing that strikes me is that the front entrance of the restaurant has been engulfed by the neighbouring gift shop selling tourist knick-knacks so that you have to enter via a side entrance. The next thing I see is the transformation of the smart bar area into a bar-cum-depot for unloved furniture with one table as a makeshift desk scattered with paperwork. Finally I notice the worn beige undercloths and scarce clientele. I reflect that this Monegasque icon is looking a little moribund itself.
Once my partner has arrived, we study the tidy two-page menu that celebrates Monegasque and Mediterranean dishes. A brusque waiter takes our order and then bats away my proffered camera saying he’s far too busy to take a photo. Afterwards a kind-hearted tourist who has witnessed the scene from a neighbouring table offers to take our photo instead.
My tomato-and-burrata starter arrives in an impressive Technicolor of orange, red and yellow tomatoes. However, the burrata is rather hard (for a cheese that should be a melting combination of mozzarella and cream) and I’m not sure why the dish has been sprinkled with Parmesan. Luckily my clam pasta main course so hits the spot that I am tempted to polish the plate with my bread in enjoyment.
As our waiter clears the pasta dishes, he remarks that he is ready to take our photo now that we have “les yeux rouges” (red eyes), after our lunch in the sun. My partner looks a little red-eyed with crossness as he asks for the bill. Yet as we finish off our glasses in the spring sunshine looking down over the leafy rooftops of Fontvieille, I reflect that there are few places to parallel a lazy lunch here even on an off day like this.
Le Castelroc is a slice of our national identity. It is as important to Monegasque cuisine as the beloved Chez Roger stall in La Condamine market, which was revived successfully last month following a sustained public campaign: SOS Socca. With more and more competition within the principality from deep-pocketed international brands and celebrity chefs, we must seek inventive ways to sustain hard-working Monegasque dining dynasties. How about a Monegasque Culinary Heritage Foundation?
Le Castelroc, 1 place du Palais. Tel: (+377) 93 30 36 68
Article first published March 21, 2017.
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The Women of Monaco Life, A Series: Margaret Hepburn
ML: You’ve been living here for 25 years. How would you say Monaco has changed? MH: In my opinion, Monaco has definitely changed for the better, and one of the biggest drivers for change has been HSH Prince Albert.
Prince Albert succeeded in bringing Monaco into the modern world, where women’s roles were evolving, where concerns about the environment and sustainability were becoming priorities.
The challenge now, however, is to continue to look after the needs of those families who have lived here for generations, who may not have the same earning potential as the influx of wealthy expats and who are unable to compete, for example, for real estate.
What I appreciate also is that it’s safe here for a woman living alone.
ML: Where’s favourite place for a coffee in Monaco? MH: Il Calcio on boulevard des Moulins or Hotel Metropole, depending on my mood.
ML: How do you see the role of women changing in society? MH: Women have changed from the well-defined role as homemaker to trying to become superwomen, and to compete with men. When I arrived in Monaco, the image of the trophy wife following her husband was common. This was pretty much my situation. I was married to an older man, and even though I had my own very successful business in the UK, I settled into a traditional role of mother and wife when we moved to Monaco. Women at that time were not encouraged – nor were there any opportunities – to do anything but look after the home and family. I was content to do that. Today, women’s limits are often self-imposed rather than imposed from society, but not necessarily encouraged either, as male power would be destabilised by women.
I admit that being a woman in business may help to open doors initially, as people are curious and so may give my products a try, but in general, I’m not taken as seriously. Men seem nervous about doing business with a woman because of what their colleagues or other companies would think, that they could be influenced by appearances rather than good business.
I admit I find it more comfortable doing business with European men than American. American men don’t know how to deal with a successful businesswoman, whether she dresses sexily or in a more masculine way. Either way, they are lost.
ML: How did you become this successful businesswoman? MH: I had exceptionally forward thinking parents, who were very concerned about the environment at a time when it wasn’t trendy to do so. My father was a doctor and would receive fresh, home-grown produce in exchange for his services. Home cooking was always wholesome and organic. We never ate processed foods.
I received my university education in Psychology and English and, encouraged by mother to be financially independent, after graduating I started my first business in London in interior design. I have a love for beautiful things.
ML: But in 2006 you launched Hepburn Bio Care & Hepburn Bio Yacht Care. Eco-friendly industrial products are a long way away from interior decorating. MH: When my husband passed away in 2002, I was left in a financially precarious situation. Rather than returning to interior design, a business that I knew, I decided to reinvent myself. I had two great passions, children and the environment. Realising that the environment, and in particular wastewater, while not being a particularly sexy topic at the time, was something of a niche market, I drew up a list of criteria for a business that could be viable without me being its focal point, as was the case with interior design.
I hit on the idea of environmentally-friendly cleaning products for use by corporations in the marine industry, like cruise lines. I was shocked that many of the chemical products routinely being sold and used in the cruise industry were toxic to aquatic life, carcinogenic, corrosive, inflammable, and hazardous to transport and handle. It appeared to be standard practice that nobody had questioned over the years.
I realised that to change such practices, I needed to offer an effective alternative solution, and one that would offer savings. Surrounding myself with the right team of chemists and biologists, I set about developing a small range of cleaning products that were completely biodegradable, non toxic, non-corrosive and safe to transport and handle, and above all effective.
My first product was a biodegradable toilet cleaner that not only cleaned the toilet but also kept the pipes and drains free from deposits and so reduced the cost of maintenance and repairs to the system.
ML: What’s your business approach? MH: Hepburn Bio Care has no shareholders and works B2B. We do not advertise, and promote our products only through trade fairs.
We promise complete integrity. We don’t compromise on the quality of our products – and they do what they say they do. We have a limited range of products, compared to our competitors, who may sell the same product with a range of perfumes, or colours so the client thinks it’s a different product.
ML: So can I go La Vie Claire and buy your products? MH: No, my clients are corporations in the marine industry, who are having to comply with more stringent environmental standards. For example, a cruise line with 24 ships uses around half a million litres of toxic toilet cleaning products a year. Changing to a biodegradable product reduces chemical use to only 50,000 to 60,000 litres a year while protecting the pipes in the process.
ML: Why don’t all companies switch over to these products then? MH: Purchasing managers are often motivated to cut costs in return for bonuses. The fact that the chemical cleaning products they buy may be corroding the pipes, or have higher handling and storage cost, is not taken into consideration as any pipe maintenance or repair work and transport comes out of a different budget, so doesn’t affect bonuses. There may also be a comfortable arrangement between all the different parts of the purchasing, transport, storage and repairs chain. My products upset all this.
Sometimes, though, the failure to change to eco-products is due to ignorance. Some corporations buy products that they believe are eco-friendly, but in fact they are not. When I point this out to them, they are shocked.
In this case, I see one of my roles as educating, to show people that it is possible to be sustainable and have a successful business.
ML: What qualities do you look for when hiring people? MH: Honestly, I’m somewhat worried by today young people’s lack of self-discipline and feeling of entitlement. The lack of spirituality is damaging for society as it is spirituality which helps to provide principles, and act as a moral compass. My own success has been due to commitment and hard work and I look for these qualities when I recruit.
ML: What is the best piece of advice another woman gave you? MH: The Duchess of Bedford once told me, “Never explain and never complain”.
ML: What is the best and most difficult part of getting older as a woman? MH: The best part is being comfortable in my own skin and in control of my life but the challenge is that my brain tells me I’m only 40 but my body does not support my brain …”
Kate Powers, co-owner of Stars’n’Bars and co-founder of EcoHub
ML: Everyone knows Kate from Stars’n’Bars (SnB), but few know your story. KP: That’s always funny to hear, as I don’t imagine myself as known! But I guess I am.
I ended up in Monaco moving from the US as a child of five with my mom, brother and sister. I went to Catholic school, wanted to be a nun. I had a baby instead.
We lived in London then Switzerland. I was unable to finish school and I ended up in the restaurant business. I moved to Texas went from waitress to bartender and cashier all the way to being trained as a chef. I moved back to Monaco almost 30 years ago to help my family with Le Texan restaurant.
Five years later, in 1993, my partner and then chef, Didier, and I decided to open a sports bar together with the financial help of a few friends.
ML: Kate Powers then and now, are you the same person? KP: I think I’m pretty much the same person, a bit wiser … thank God! I’m less of a party animal, though I still enjoy dancing on the tables once in a while. I’m a Happy Glam’Ma (that’s what my sister calls us) of two and loving it!
ML: How has Monaco changed over the years you’ve lived here? KP: Much more urban development – high-rises, schools, a university, harbour extension – and community oriented, with many more families and nationalities, offering more choice in entertainment, eateries, bars and upscale beaches, with new places opening regularly.
Used to be that restaurants would close at 2 pm and reopen at 7:30. There were no places for families to go, nor did Happy Hour exist, although we replaced ours with “Happy Food” after younger clients took it too far.
Overall, there’s a more relaxed atmosphere under Prince Albert. You see people running, working out all around town, dressed more casual and sporty.
ML: Was SnB a long-term plan? What was it like in the beginning? KP: No, Stars’n’Bars was not a long-term plan. It came to us when we were introduced to an old warehouse in Fontvielle. Our creative juices kicked in and we began building until the government changed our location. Thank goodness!
ML: Stars’n’bars is such a success story. Did you ever have any near misses? KP: We had run out of funds to continue building but thankfully our builders were very supportive and allowed us to pay 90 days later. We opened the nightclub – “The Blues Bar” –on the top floor one month before the restaurant opened in order to finish paying for the construction. Friends and family pitched in, scraped, cleaned and painted. We collected furniture left on street corners and in second-hand shops.
We had very little memorabilia other than Prince Albert’s Bobsled, Mick Doohan’s motor racing gear and Sergei Bubka’s pole vault pole.
ML: What is the secret of Stars’n’Bars winning formula? KP: Firstly, I believe our success came from following our gut feelings and our hearts. We really wanted to do something fun and different for the families and the community. It was scary because it was so big and built during the recession of ‘93. But it felt like a mission to me and I felt guided to build a place where we could welcome all walks of life and share our passion with as many as possible. As Didier and I were both chefs, we spent the first few months training our cooks and building our menu, coming up with typical specialities.
We had menu items that didn’t exist on the coast at the time from Caesar Salad – even Ducasse asked me for my Caesar dressing recipe – to nachos, and from cheesecake and brownies to apple pie and sundaes. As there were mostly Italian and French restaurants in Monaco, Le Texan restaurant was a big hit and we developed a loyal following.
Also, we thought it would be fun to have a sports bar as Monaco hosts so many sports events and a number of sports celebrities live here. We installed Big Screens and 22 televisions. We created a supervised children’s playroom, a video arcade room for the big kids, a billiard room and so on.
ML: Can you share a few fun SnB facts? KP: We now employ between 80 and 100 people depending on the season and we serve an average of 700 people a day – some 240,000 a year
We served 63,595 organic burgers last year, 33,595 salads, 17,966 children’s menus 50,165 bottles of water and 89,865 draft beers.
ML: With a winner in your back pocket, you could have left SnB “as is”. Yet it is always evolving, as shown through your EcoHub initiative. What plans do you have for the future? KP: SnB has evolved in the past few years with more vegan and vegetarian choices plus organic meat, fish and vegetables, French fries, coffee and tea. We have cut back a little of our beef for pollution purposes and cut out most imported goods as most of our food is homemade and organic, starting with our burgers, as of nearly four years ago. We created our own 150 sqm vegetable and spice garden two years ago on our terrace and now we offer our own homemade cold pressed fruit juices.
We recently had a farmer’s market, which was mostly organic and completely delicious. It was a fun Sunday and people appreciated the event.
We’ve introduced an EcoHub on our top floor, in The Stardeck, where we now organise talks – we have nutritional conferences in English with the Clever Kitchen and in French with Christiane Brych – as well as free introduction days including anything to do with all around wellness, whether it be sustainability, personal development, nutrition or fitness and more.
ML: What are some of your fondest SnB memories and the celebs who have visited? KP: The building of Stars’n’bars and seeing the pleasure it brought to the community and especially the children who have now grown up and are bringing their children.Watching kids run in and straight up to the playroom has really touched me over the years, as has seeing how Halloween has grown from 30 children at Le Texan 28 years ago to 535 children this year.
My team laugh at me because I don’t recognise celebrities, as I don’t own a TV, don’t read magazines and only watch movies on the plane travelling.
ML: Biggest misconception outsiders have of Monaco? KP: That it’s only full of rich people.
ML: What is your favourite thing to do in Monaco (if you ever have down time)?KP: I love the sea. Swimming and sailing along the coast; biking on a quiet Sunday morning. I like being a Glam’Ma and taking my granddaughter to plays and special events and spending the night with her and her baby sister. I also enjoy my EcoHub events and listening and learning about wellness with all the various interesting conference speakers.
ML: What is a typical working day for you and what do you do in your spare (!) time? KP: First, I enjoy exercising in the morning, then easing into the day with a tea or coffee and chatting with the managers and team. Quick lunch before service.
Office time. Late afternoon glass of wine with Annette or Didier – or both! – when time permits, a catnap if possible and then back on service with the night team.
ML: What is the one device you cannot live without in your workday? KP: A smile.
ML: What is the best and hardest part of ageing as a woman? KP: Best? Wisdom. Worst? Senior moments and looser skin. Did I mention wisdom?
ML: Name something you’ve always wanted to try or do? KP: Sing and sail around the world. Not necessarily at the same time.
ML: Everyone knows of Kate Powers. Is it difficult to maintain a personal life? KP: I’m not very social outside of the restaurant. I go to discreet places mostly and sometimes to events or business events when my brother can convince me. I love trying new places, if you can talk me into going out.
ML: What is something about Kate Powers that most people don’t know? KP: People don’t know that I’m very shy, that I’m not very visual therefore I don’t always recognise people unless they are regulars for awhile. Also, that I love being at sea, love reading inspirational books and love the mountains as well.
ML: You always have a positive outlook, and even your emails include thoughtful quotes. Have you always embraced optimism? KP: Yes! Since I was 25 and my little brother who was ten years younger died. It changed me, I realised how delicate life was. I went on a search for the deeper meaning and woke up to the realisation that there was much more to life than our everyday worries and concerns. It’s been all about seeking and inspiration since then …
ML: Best piece of advice of another woman gave you? KP: Be yourself … be happy … be grateful … have fun … and spread the love.
ML: What characteristic do you most admire in others? How do you hope other people see you? KP: I most admire deep people with a sense of purpose and making a difference, those who enjoy life and are caring and giving. I love humour and to laugh.
I hope others see me as purposeful, good, caring, thoughtful, giving and funny.
ML: Would you ever live anywhere else? KP: No … unless I’m sailing around the world.
MonacoUSA Executive Director Annette Anderson and Susan Feaster, Susan Feaster, CEO of Ryder Cup France 2018 US Partners Club. Photo: Monaco Life
More than seventy people braved the heavy rain and winter temperatures to support MonacoUSA’s pre-Ryder Cup event Tuesday night at Stars’n’Bars.
The 42nd Ryder Cup, where America’s top golfers compete against the best in Europe, will be held in continental Europe for only the second time in its history, at Le Golf National in Paris, from September 28 to 30, 2018.
Another historic golf tournament will take place a few months earlier, from June 15 to 18, and for the first time at the Monte Carlo Golf Club – the 2018 Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup, which will bring Bill Clinton, Andy Garcia, Kenny G and some of America’s top football players, as well as 20 American businessmen paying to golf with the stars, to the Principality.
Susan Feaster, CEO of Ryder Cup France 2018 US Partners Club and Monaco US Celebrity Cup Chairman. Photo: Monaco LifeHE Henri Fissore, Chairman of the Board Grimaldi Forum, Susan Feaster, CEO of Ryder Cup France 2018 US Partners Club and Monaco US Celebrity Cup Chairman and Werner Peyer, Managing Director of Compagnie Monégasque de Banque. Photo: Monaco Life
The link between these two major golf events is Susan Feaster, CEO of Ryder Cup France 2018 US Partners Club and Monaco US Celebrity Cup Chairman, who reminded MonacoUSA members and friends that “you are each an Ambassador to Monaco over the four days of events in June when Team USA and Team Europe come to the Principality.”
Ms Feaster also thanked Monaco US Celebrity Cup committee members Mike Powers and Henri Fissore, who were present, and spoke about the success of the first celebrity cup which took place in June 2016 at Royal Mougins Golf Club, where Team USA beat Team Europe 10-5 on a Match Play.
The tournament trophy will again be presented by HSH Prince Albert, who is the 2018 Honorary co-captain of Team USA, at an Awards Ceremony and Black Tie Gala on June 17 in the Yacht Club Ballroom.
The proceeds of this charity event will benefit the Ryder Cup Trust for the development of golf for youth, beginners, seniors and the disabled. In addition, a “Green Golf” gift will be made to the Prince Albert II Foundation for environmentally enhanced golf course construction and sustainability.
Alicia Sedgwick provides fashion show commentary. Photo: Monaco Life
The networking evening was sponsored by Monaco’s only golf boutique and fitting centre, One Eagle, who set up an indoor putting green and provided an impressive fashion show, prompting “ohs and ahs” from many in the crowd who have never once swung a club.
A tombola was held with awesome prizes including private golf lessons at Royal Mougins with Stephane Damiano of Prime Golf Academy, a free swing assessment at One Eagle’s fitting centre and a bucket of EcoBioBalls, aka fish balls – non-toxic, biodegradable “eco” golf balls filled with fish food.
Quentin Durafour, One Eagle Fitter, with fish balls.
“What a cool idea for golfers who practice at sea,” commented MonacoUSA’s Executive Director Annette Anderson. Fish balls begin to dissolve after 24 hours, then fish begin eating the food inside after 36 hours before the balls fully dissipate after 28 days.
A great deal of energy went into the Ryder Cup discovery evening, as led by the inextinguishable Annette Anderson, Alicia Sedgwick, Master of Ceremonies of TEDxMonteCarlo who provided commentary for the fashion show, and the staff at Stars’n’Bars for their prompt and friendly service.
The 2018 Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup kick-off was hosted at the Yacht Club of Monaco on July 4 by Susan Feaster and Monaco Life Publisher Eric Brundage. Article first published on February 14, 2018.
Monaco Telecom has been ranked as the world’s best mobile telephony operator worldwide. The 4GMARK measuring tool judges the quality of connections using smartphones in terms of performance and reliability.
Usability is measured in terms of uploading and sending attachments, navigation and video streaming. This barometer of mobile Internet performance is published each month according to data collected by users themselves.
While Monaco Telecom – which is owned by the French entrepreneur Xavier Niel and the Monaco Government – came first out of 290 operators in the month of January, France’s Orange ranked 23rd, SFR 48th, Bouygues 49th and Free in 112th place.
Martin Peronnet, Monaco Telecom’s General Director, said: “These results reflect the daily commitment and investment of Monaco Telecom to offer the best performance and the best quality of service for our subscribers and visitors to the Principality.”
Mr Peronnet added that given that the topography of the Principality is rather difficult and heavily built-up, it is always a welcome challenge for the company’s workforce to raise the levels of performance.
“To do a Burberry: meaning to successfully revive a famous but moribund heritage name.”
Kate Powers, co-owner of Stars’n’Bars and co-founder of EcoHub
ML: Can you share a few fun SnB facts?
ML: You always have a positive outlook, and even your emails include thoughtful quotes. Have you always embraced optimism?
