Stéphane Pitré, starred chef and owner of 2 restaurants in Paris - Restaurant Louis * and Le Cellier - and consulting chef at La Signoria in Calvi, is a regular at Les Épicures: he'll be with us once again on Monday April 29, as juror and visitor.
LMEF - How long have you been coming to Les Épicures de l'épicerie fine?
STEPHANE PITRÉ - I came for the first time 5 years ago as a juror and visitor, and I found the experience extraordinary. Not only do you discover beautiful and new products, but you also meet wonderful people, most of whom are artisans.
LMEF - What do you particularly like about it?
STEPHANE PITRÉ - I love taking the time to wander the aisles and chat with exhibitors, who always know their products inside out. In fact, I've gone further with some of them, making my own brand of crab rillettes with a cannery I met at the show. Last year, I got in touch with the creator of Osco - a non-alcoholic aperitif: she came to see me, we did some tests and this led to the creation of a recipe that I offer in my gourmet restaurant.
LMEF - It's clear that you've met some great people?
STEPHANE PITRÉ - It's true: I've actually kept in touch with some of them, like this exceptional producer of goat's milk chocolate: Cédric Da Costa Faro, the creator of Lucifève d'Aubrac. It was a real encounter, and there are many others, because behind almost all the producers present at Épicures lie wonderful human stories.