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EMMANUEL MACRON

Macron announces creation of ‘centre of excellence’ for French cooking

French president Emmanuel Macron has announced the creation of a new 'centre of excellence' to promote French cooking and gastronomic traditions.

Macron announces creation of 'centre of excellence' for French cooking
France's chefs will be able to benefit from a centre of culinary excellence. Photo: Martin Bureau/AFP

On a visit to Lyon over the weekend, the president said he wanted to create a ‘centre of excellence’ to defend and promote the French gastronomic industries.

Comparing it the national training centres for football and rugby, Macron said the aim would be “training to achieve excellence, training for major competitions and preparing the ‘athletes’ who will win international honours for France”.

He suggested that Lyon, renowned as the foodie capital of France, would be the location for the new centre.

READ ALSO From crêpes to cassoulet: The ultimate food map of France

The French hospitality industry, in common with a number of other European countries, has seen a shortage of workers since bars, cafés and restaurants reopened after lockdown. Some staff found other jobs during the lockdown while others are simply reluctant to return to an industry notorious for anti-social hours and low pay.

The idea of a centre of excellence is part of the proposals made by Guillaume Gomez, the former chef of the Elysée Palace, who since February has served as Macron’s “personal representative in the service of French gastronomy”.

READ ALSO Haute cuisine or hot dogs – what do the French really eat?

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FOOD AND DRINK

Cheese in numbers: France’s obsession with fromage

From cheese types to the amount eaten per year, via cheese favourites - here's a look at how France really feels about fromage.

Cheese in numbers: France’s obsession with fromage

March 27th is the Journée nationale du fromage in France – so here are a few facts about the delicious dairy delicacy.

246

Charles de Gaulle famously once asked of governing France: “How can anyone govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?”.

His numbers were wrong. Producers in France make closer to 1,000 varieties of cheese – and some have estimated that figure could be pushed up as high as 1,600.

8

The number of cheese ‘families’ in France. A good cheeseboard in France is generally considered to consist of at least three ‘families’ – a soft cheese, a hard cheese and either a blue or a goat’s cheese. Remember, too, an odd number of fromages on a platter is better than an even number, according from cheese etiquettists

READ ALSO France Facts: There are eight cheese families in France

2.5

About how long – in years – it would take you to try every cheese made in France, if you tried a new variety every day. Life goals. 

95

The percentage of people in France who say they eat cheese at least once a week, spending seven percent of their weekly food bill on it.

READ ALSO Best Briehaviour: Your guide to French cheese etiquette

40

Two-fifths of French people say they eat cheese every day

57

The amount of cheese produced, in kilogrammes, in France every second, according to this website, which has a counter to show you how fast that really is. It’s estimated that 1.8 million tonnes of cheese are produced in France every year.

27

The French consume, on average, a whopping 27 kilogrammes of cheese per person per year.

READ ALSO Fonduegate: Why customer service is different in France

3

The three most popular cheeses in France, based on sales, are Emmental, Camembert, and Raclette – followed by mozzarella, goat’s cheese, Comté and Coulommiers.

63

Some 63 cheeses have been awarded the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée status, which means they can only be produced in a certain region.

1

France has – or at least soon will have – one dedicated cheese museum. 

READ ALSO Three things to know about the new Paris cheese museum

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