Sodexo Live!, the French food service company chosen to oversee catering for the Olympic Village and 14 Olympic venues, announced it has created 500 recipes to be served at the village's sit-down restaurants. It is said to be the “world's largest restaurant” with a seating capacity of up to 3,500 people.
A bread salad recipe created by France's leading chef Stéphane Cichelli that will be served at the Olympic Village in Paris this summer.Photo: Associated Press
“Of course, there will be some athlete staples like pasta,” says Nathalie Veron-Szabo, global chief executive officer of Sodexo Live!. However, the food will have a “very French feel.”
Athletes will also have access to 'grab and go' stalls, including one dedicated to French cuisine.
French chef Amandine Chaignot created the recipe for the croissants that will be served at the Olympics.Photo: Associated Press
French chef Amandine Chaignot, who runs a restaurant and café-bistro in Paris, last week shared one of her croissant-based recipes.
“I wanted the recipe I proposed to be representative of French terroir, but I also wanted it to be enjoyed by athletes,” she says. “It was very obvious to me to make a croissant that can be twisted.
“It has artichoke puree, poached eggs, truffles, and a bit of cheese. It's a vegetarian, yet mouth-watering dish.”
Every day during the Olympic Games, which will be held from July 26 to August 11, top chefs, including some Michelin-starred chefs, will present their dishes in front of the athletes in the Olympic Village.
Chaigneault says this “allows them to have a conversation and understand better what French cuisine is, and also understand a little bit about our culture.”
Chagnot's twisted croissant (from left) with artichoke puree, poached egg, truffle and cheese.Photo: Associated Press
Daily specials include a wide range of salads, pastas, grilled meats and soups. Cheeses include top-quality camembert, brie and Ossau Illati, a sheep's milk-based cheese from southwestern France.
The Olympic Village will also include a bakery producing fresh baguettes and other breads.
“The idea is to give the athletes an opportunity to eat a piping hot baguette for breakfast,” said Tony Dore, a baker who works in the Olympic Village's main restaurant.
Tony Dore prepares baguettes like those served during the Olympics.Photo: Associated Press
Dore said athletes will be able to participate in daily bakery training sessions and learn how to make their own French baguettes.
To give you as much choice as possible, food is offered in four culinary categories: French, Asian, African, Caribbean, and International.
Organizers of the Paris 2024 Games have pledged to make the Olympics more sustainable and environmentally friendly, including efforts to reduce the use of plastic. The village's main restaurant uses only reusable tableware.
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Additionally, organizers say all meals will be made with seasonal ingredients, with 80% of them coming from France.
Philippe Würz, head of food and beverage at the Paris 2024 Committee, said 60% of the food served to attendees at the venue will be plant-based, including “vegetarian hot dogs.”
“There's a huge amount of plant-based recipes out there for the public to try, experience, and hopefully love,” Wurz said.
For the first time in the history of the Games, 100% of the food served in the city park on Place de la Concorde in central Paris will be vegetarian. The park will be the setting for some of the most modern sports disciplines at Paris 2024, including BMX freestyle, 3×3 basketball, skateboarding and breakdancing.
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