“I love Pommard. It has everything.”
Kévin d’Andréa
To celebrate Burgundy’s annual Vente de Vins at the historic Hospices de Beaune ; the events team at Château de Pommard collaborated with Kévin d’Andréa, the finalist of 2015’s Top Chef, for a fantastic feast of food, wine and music.
This unique gastronomic experience ; the first of many to happen in the new calendar of events scheduled at the Château throughout the next season ; unveiled flavors and tastes that evoked the essence and elegance of Burgundy and looked as mouthwatering as the view of Clos Marey-Monge, lit up like a skyline, just outside the window. Revealing the acclaimed savoir faire of Kévin and local Pommard chef, Olivier Laboute… It was the task of our revered winemaker, to complete the evening with a selection of nine wines chosen exclusively for the event. Suffice to say, he done us proud.
Musical entertainment was served up by Nouvelle Star 2016 singer Mélanie June and her band, covering a buffet of songs as delicious as the food. It was a feast for all the senses. It couldn’t have been more perfectly paired with one of Burgundy’s most important, and cherished, weekends ; designed to throw a spotlight on the awe-inspiring work the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction does for local charitable causes.
With big and exciting news on his future plans to be announced very soon, Kévin d’Andréa is an incredibly busy man. Thankfully, he had a few moments to speak with the LOOP team at Château de Pommard moments before the big gastronomic event began.
“Cooking is like alchemy for me,” the chef and rising “playboy” celebrity tells us over a coffee in Château de Pommard’s newly installed Tasting Room. “There is something magical in transforming a cabbage into something more than just a cabbage, like a lovely purée, for example. You add some spices, and ‘wow!’ – it’s something completely different?! I feel like a magician performing a trick!”
The talented chef’s turn on Top Chef, France’s most popular cooking show, catapulted the 25-year-old into the media spotlight. He has received nothing but praise from all quarters for his kitchen acumen and compassionate – if fiery – perfectionist personality. “I am a perfectionist, yes,” he admits. “But with perfection comes anxiety. I was very nervous cooking for more than 80 people at the event. I wanted to make it perfect. Not just 100 per cent, but a 1000 per cent! I did my best and I’ve heard great feedback. I hope I did enough to be invited back – I love Pommard. It has everything.”
After Kévin’s banquet in Pommard – a gastronomic menu that delighted with oysters, smoked salmon, Bresse chicken, fine cheeses, and his famous chocolate and hazelnut dessert (to die for FYI) ; not to mention the beautifully paired wines, including Clos Marey-Monge 2008, 2013 and Simone 2011 ; there’s no doubt that Kévin has all the right ingredients to be a future Michelin star in the making. We certainly hope to see him again in Pommard sometime soon for another event, or two. He’s welcome back anytime – as long as he does all the cooking.