Luxembourg's Top Chefs Prepare Festive Meal for Those in Need

On Monday 4 December 2023, the tenth edition of the "Chefs 4 the Best" initiative took place in Luxembourg City.

Some of Luxembourg's top chefs came together to prepare a festive meal for the most vulnerable members of society.

The starter was "pâté en croute" by Ma Langue Sourit's Cyril Mollard - the first chef to have twice obtained the title of "Chef of the Year" in Luxembourg, in 2014 and again in 2020. The starter was followed by a vegetable dish with a pumpkin focus made by the Distillerie chef René Mathieu, who was also twice named Chef of the Year, first in 2010 and then again in 2021. For the main dish, 2024 Chef of the Year Louis Linster from Restaurant Léa Linster revamped the traditional Bouchée à la Reine (vol-au-vent) recipe. The meal ended with a Mont Blanc for dessert, prepared by Carole Lesquer, chef at Flûte Alors! and 2021 Pastry Chef of the Year.

The man behind the project, chef Etienne-Jean Labarrère-Claverie, orchestrated the kitchens, allowing his colleagues to work in the "best conditions" from the comfort of the Centre Ulysse. This year, the City of Luxembourg made the Bonnevoie cultural centre available for the occasion.

The guests were people living in precariousness and facing exclusion who receive support from Caritas Luxembourg, namely users of the Centre Ulysse reception and accommodation centre, its annex in Michelau, the Creamisu workshop, the two night shelters and the social bistro "Le Courage". More than 100 people were invited to join this festive meal, as well as a short concert by local musician Serge Tonnar.

The joint organisers were Caritas Luxembourg and Gault & Millau Luxembourg, whose director, Laurent Fery, managed the service of a team of volunteers strengthened by Luxembourg City alderwoman Corine Cahen and Luxembourg's Minister for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception, Max Hahn, among others. The room decorations were made by the team from Creamisu and the sheltered workshop in Ehlerange (Atelier Thérapeutique d'Ehlerange). The Caritas Luxembourg logistics department took care of setting up and tidying the room.