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Month: March 2024

5th Superyacht Chef Competition set for April

by: Celina Lafuente de Lavotha
19/03/2024

As the sails unfurl and the azure waters beckon, a different kind of battle is brewing aboard the superyachts of Monaco. The International Superyacht Chef Competition, organised by the prestigious Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) in collaboration with Bluewater, is on the horizon.

“Every year, this event brings together talented chefs from all over the world, ready to take up the challenge of creating unforgettable culinary experiences,” says YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri. “As a showcase of gastronomic excellence on superyachts, the Superyacht Chef Competition continues to make its mark on the yachting world while promoting the values of our collective ‘Monaco Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach.”

Last year’s culinary battle winners were YCM Executive Chef Renato Secchi and Chef Marco Tognon, with their traditional “four-hand” dinner. The gourmet evening benefited the Antoine Alléno Association, honoring star Chef Yannick Alleno’s late son.

Top chefs will select the winners

This year, Breton three-Michelin star Chef Glenn Viel will preside over the international jury, with Joël Garault, President of Goûts et Saveurs, and other renowned and experienced top chefs in charge of selecting the winners.

Marco Tognon (M/Y Planet – 72m), the winner of the 4th edition, will be present to give his opinion on the quality of the dishes alongside Chef Danny Davies. Host of “Behind the Line with Chef Danny Davies” and author of two vegan books, Danny Davies has over 25 years of experience on private yachts. Finalist of Objectif Top Chef, and the head of Coya and Taera restaurants in Monaco Chef Victoria Vallenilla completes the Jury line-up.

See also: Venezuela’s calling: New Taera restaurant opens at the Hôtel De Paris

As is customary in this prestigious competition, chefs will follow an anti-waste criterium under the supervision of Chef Duncan Biggs. To avoid being penalised, every chef must use every ingredient in the mystery basket, putting their culinary skills to the test as they are tasked with transforming random ingredients into a gourmet dish.

Meet the contestants

This year’s participants are Paulo Ucha Longhi (M/Y Hercules – 50m), Joelyanne Le Faucher (M/Y Artemis – 33m), Mateusz Mitka (M/Y Lady Britt – 63m), Margot Laurent (M/Y Leonardo III – 43m), Enzo Di Gabro (M/Y LAUL – 39m), Giacomo Seregni (M/Y Severin’s – 55m), Jérémie Gruson (M/Y Victoria del mar – 50m) and Ava Faulkner (M/Y Light Holic – 60m).

The competition’s benchmark is that the chefs only discover the mystery ingredient five minutes before they get to their cooking stations, so quick adaptation and improvisation are the keys.

The public play their role by adding a missing ingredient to the mystery basket and then voting for the best dish.

The Superyacht Chef Competition will take place on 4th April under the aegis of YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre.

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Photo: Prince Albert II, with from left to right: Sabrina Monteleone-Oeino, winner of the 2023 Competition Marco Tognon, and Yannick Aleno (far right). 

France: Car insurance stickers to become a thing of the past

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/03/2024
car insurance france

The days of the mandatory requirement for all French vehicles to display valid proof of insurance is coming to an end on 1st April.

As of next month, drivers in France can say goodbye to the little green paper documents signifying proof of insurance that are affixed to the corner of their vehicles’ windscreens.  

Following the passing of a new law in December, a new tool called the Insured Vehicles Index – Fichier des Véhicules Assurés in French – has been established. It connects law enforcement with data held by insurers directly, allowing officials to gain a full picture of a driver’s insurance situation at the click of a button.  

Insurers will be required to continually update the system regarding insurance contract renewals or new policies for cars, commercial vehicles, motorbikes, scooters and any other vehicle that requires insurance.  

The traditional paper form of the carte verte insurance document will be gradually phased out, but insurers will provide contract holders with a document confirming that a vehicle is correctly insured for the rest of 2024 to cover the interim period between new contracts and renewals.  

For more information, click here.

Read related:

Record road deaths force Monaco Police to get tough on drink driving, but how?

 

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Photo source: Benjamin Child, Unsplash

Monaco to host Blue Economy and Finance Forum as part of 2025 UN Ocean Conference

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/03/2024
blue economy and finance forum

Days before the 2025 UN Ocean Conference begins in Nice next year, Monaco will play host to the action-oriented Blue Economy and Finance Forum event. Here’s what we know so far.

On 7th and 8th June, the Blue Economy and Finance Forum will gather “private sector actors, businesses, banks, insurance companies, philanthropies and the public sector, such as environmental funds, agencies and development banks” beneath one roof at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco in the hopes of finding solid solutions to gaps in ocean protection and sustainability funding.

The Forum is being touted as an “action-oriented” event and its organisers – the event is a joint effort between the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the French Organising Committee of UNOC 2025, with the support of the Secretary General of UNOC, Ambassador Laurent Stefanini, and the French Ambassador to Monaco, Jean d’Haussonville – will use the opportunity to connect key players and decision-makers who have the potential to ramp up Blue Financing and other goal-driven ocean projects.  

By making a clear distinction between the maritime economy, which corresponds to all activities directly or indirectly linked to the sea, and the blue economy, widely recognised as the reasonable use of ocean resources via sustainable and regenerative activities that benefit both humankind and nature, the Forum will aim to highlight the beneficial link between economic activities and conservation efforts.  

The Forum’s primary objective, though, is to, by the end of the event, issue a detailed list of recommendations and considerations to international delegations heading to the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in the following days.

The 2025 UN Ocean Conference event in Nice is scheduled to take place from 9th to 13th June 2025.  

Read related:

Nice wins bid to host United Nation’s Ocean Conference in 2025

 

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Photo credit: JC Vinaj / Olivier Huitel / FPA2

The Blues Brothers Approved are coming to Monaco this May

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/03/2024

Prepare yourselves for a night of music and mayhem… The Blues Brothers Approved are coming to town! 

For one night only, a theatrical revival of the 1980 cult movie The Blues Brothers will be hitting the stage at the Grimaldi Forum on 3rd May. 

Starring a new duo in the shoes of Jake and Elwood Blues, characters made famous by Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi, the English language show is set to bring a whole lot of rebellious toe-tapping fun to the Principality.  

The tale is about two parentless brothers who have had more than their fair share of brushes with the law. The pair, sporting black Ray Bans, fedoras and ties, become the unlikely heroes of their childhood orphanage, which is run by a rather sinister nun, as they try to save the establishment by any means necessary.  

The ensuing hilarity comes as they re-form their old band, The Blue Brothers, and end up in all sorts of scrapes while simultaneously coming across some of the best musical talent of the era, such as legendary singers Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. 

In 1995, AMPM Productions brought the magic of this story to the theatre in a tribute show with the tacit blessing of Dan Ackroyd and Judith Belushi, and the result has been a near three decades run of performances all over the world.  

From the Chicago, the “home” city of the brothers, to London’s West End, Europe, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the momentum just keeps on building.  

To find out more and for tickets reservations, click here.

Check out a teaser of the show below:

 

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Photo source: The Blues Brothers Approved

Photos: Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in Alsace to inaugurate new Grimaldi Historic Site

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/03/2024

In a day filled with the past, the Prince and Princess of Monaco created new memories on their 17th March visit to Alsace with a series of ceremonies, meet and greets, and reminders of ancient ties. 

The main mission of Prince Albert II and Princess of Charlene’s visit to the region of Alsace was the welcoming of a new Grimaldi Historic Site into the growing community of towns and villages across France and Italy that have centuries-old ties to the Principality. 

Pictured alongside Mayor Sylvie Renger, the Princely couple proclaimed Feldbach a new member of the Grimaldi Historic Sites network. Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

The marriage of Louise d’Aumont, Duchess of Mazarin, to the future Prince Honoré IV of Monaco in 1777 gave Monaco the county of Ferrette, which had been granted by King Louis XIV to Cardinal Mazarin in 1659.  

But the history of Ferrette goes back much further, and the region is this year celebrating the 700th anniversary of the 1324 marriage of Jeanne de Ferrette to Archduke Albert II of Habsburg. Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were able to partake in a small part of these commemorative events during their tours of three key communes.   

Feldbach, Donnemarie and Thann 

The trip began for the couple in Feldbach, where they were greeted by Mayor Sylvie Renger.

The Princely couple’s first task was the unveiling of a sign indicating the town as the latest member of the Grimaldi Historic Site of Monaco network, before the mayor took Prince Albert and Princess Charlene to the Saint-Jacques church, a place where “the first counts of Ferrette are buried”.

The Princely couple meet with local officials from three Alsatian towns as well as countless well-wishers. Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

From Feldbach, the couple went on to Donnemarie, where they were met by Mayor Alexandre Berbett and other local dignitaries, who joined them in inaugurating a new street, the Passage des Comtes de Ferrette.  

Mayor Alexandre Berbett joined Prince Albert and Princess Charlene in formally opening the Passage des Comtes de Ferrette in Donnemarie. Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

The day came to a conclusion in Thann, where the Prince and Princess attended, alongside the Archduke and Archduchess Rudolf of Habsburg-Lorraine, both descendants of Jeanne de Ferrette and Albert II of Habsburg, official ceremonies marking the 700th anniversary of this important marriage.  

While in Thann, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene visited the collegiate church of Saint-Thiébault. It was here that they were able to see the church’s beautiful organ, an instrument that the Prince has aided in restoring.  

After a traditional lunch, the Princely couple were treated to a choral concert by the Petits Chanteurs de Thann and spent time chatting to a crowd of well-wishers, end the trip on a high note. 

A choral concert by the Petits Chanteurs de Thann brought to a close Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s visit to Alsace. Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

 

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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

Michelin Guide 2024: Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac earns two stars in its first year

by: Elsa Carpenter
19/03/2024

Less than a year after Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac opened at Monaco’s Hôtel Métropole, the restaurant has been awarded a stunning two Michelin stars in the recently launched 2024 edition of the famous guide. 

Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac opened at the five-star hotel in the heart of Monaco in July 2023, and proved a resounding success with diners and critics alike from the very first service.

The name itself set the restaurant up for great things, taking its inspiration from the Les Ambassadeurs of the 1920s and guiding the principles of Chef Cussac, who offers a contemporary and authentic take on Mediterranean cuisine in this inviting yet sumptuous space.

The elegant dining room of Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac. Photo credit: Studio Phenix

“I am deeply honoured by this recognition from the Michelin Guide, and I would like to emphasise that these stars are the fruit of the hard work and devotion of my entire team,” said Chef Christophe Cussac in a statement. “We have made this journey together, each member bringing their unique contribution, dedication and talent. They shine for every one of us, because we know that we can’t achieve great things alone. This is a collective victory, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed to our success.” 

See more: New restaurant: Fine dining reaches new high at Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac

It is rare – very rare – for a restaurant to earn two Michelin stars in its first year, but this was always the goal.  

Les Ambassadeurs is complimented by Yoshi, the Riviera’s only Japanese restaurant to hold a Michelin star and, according to a spokesperson for the Hôtel Métropole, the launching of the new restaurant was all part of a plan to bring the total number of stars at the hotel back up to three. 

It restores the honour that the Hôtel Metropole held during the days when Joël Robuchon, together with Christophe Cussac, occupied this space.

Chef Cussac boasts more than 40 years’ experience with some of the greatest of his time: he lived through the Jamin Robuchon era (1981), then Troisgros in Roanne, before managing his family Relais & Châteaux the Abbaye Saint-Michel in Tonnerre, Burgundy (two stars), the Réserve de Beaulieu (two stars), and finally the Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo alongside Joël Robuchon at the two Michelin starred restaurant.

Les Ambassadeurs lobster lasagne. Photo credit: Studio Phenix

Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac had undergone a major transformation ahead of its 2023 reopening.

While Designer Jacques Garcia extended his expertise to the restaurant’s timeless design in the dining room, the biggest transformation took place behind the scenes in the kitchen, which was extensively expanded and now presents almost as beautiful as the dining space itself. Three large work stations accommodate 11 chefs, and there’s also a ‘bar table’ where guests can immerse themselves in all the action, as well as a ‘chefs table’ in the main dining area, overlooking the service kitchen.

Chef Christophe Cussac is pictured centre with members of his team. Photo credit: Studio Phenix

The restaurant’s pastry chef, Patrick Mesiano, was been singularly honoured with a 2024 Prix Passion Dessert by the guide.

When it opened, Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac added another gem to Monaco’s culinary crown. Now, it can confidently sit on top of that crown as one of Monaco’s best.

SEE ALSO:

New restaurant: Fine dining reaches new high at Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac

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Photo credit: Studio Phenix