The Paris Games will be ecological, the organization has been promising for several years. Catering will therefore be a lever for a “greener” Games with the aim of halving the carbon footprint of the 13 million meals that will be served during the competitions (Olympics and Paralympics), using 80% organic products of French origin, offering 60% plant-based recipes to the general public.
The catering offered to the public at the Concorde site will be exclusively vegetarian, a “first” in the history of the Games, organizers announced on Tuesday. However, athletes will have access to a meat menu if they wish.
From July 27 to August 10, the symbolic Parisian square will host the events of four so-called urban sports (BMX freestyle, three-person basketball, breaking and skateboarding).
“Another model is possible”
“The Games are a unique opportunity to show that another model is possible,” emphasized Philipp Würz, Catering Manager of the Olympic Organizing Committee, when presenting the recipes that will be served to the athletes and the team on Sodexo Live.
“We wanted to move the cursor as far as possible,” indicated Philipp Würz, explaining that one of the recipes that will be offered on the Concorde website, a vegetarian hot dog, was preferred by the public over a beef burger during the Highlands. cycling test event in Élancourt held at the end of September.
Four years of work
“We want to show that we can offer gourmet recipes without meat without being a caricature of a meat substitute,” explains the manager, for whom “this decision is the culmination of four years of work.”
Pasta salad, vegetarian croque-monsieur, beetroot falafel… About fifteen vegetarian recipes were developed by the chefs of Sodexo Live, which, in addition to catering in the athletes’ village, also manages the food menu at the 14 locations of the competition.
The vegetable sausage has been made “with a base of apples, potatoes and peas”, says Sodexo Live chef Stéphane Chicheri, who promised “gourmet and invigorating” recipes.
And the prices of this vegetarian offering? According to Philippe Würz, they are not finalized yet, but will be similar to the prices offered during other international events in Paris, mentioning a basic range “between 6 and 10 euros”.