It's not just a country's landscapes and culture that attract tourists. Local gastronomy is also a major asset. In fact, one in two French people would choose their vacation destination based on the local cuisine*. That's why some travel agencies have sniffed out the good news by specializing in holidays based entirely around culinary discovery, most often in the company of a chef.
An unforgettable stay
Peru, Italy, Thailand... There are many countries that combine a number of strong points to attract holidaymakers. With this in mind, the Roads and Kingdoms agency, known for its programs with Anthony Bourdain, launched League of Travelers after the American chef's death in 2019. According to Nathan Thornburgh and Matt Goulding, the co-founders of this new concept, food is a spectacular way to understand the world. So, together, they organize stays that explain a place's history, culture, language and music through its cuisine. The agency goes beyond simple restaurant bookings, creating unique and special events.
Each group, of around 10 people, leaves for a renowned culinary destination, accompanied by a renowned chef such as José Andrés, Andy Ricker or Elio Ferpel. These chefs are chosen for their friendliness, curiosity and ability to communicate through food. While travelers choose in advance the country they wish to discover, the experiences offered on site remain a mystery until the last moment, both for them and for the chefs accompanying them, making the stay even more experiential.
Exclusive events are organized, such as a seafood barbecue on a wild Asturian cove with chef Elio Ferpel, or an indigenous Red Zao feast in Vietnam. In Andalusia, some travelers have also taken part in the Seville Feria in horse-drawn carriages and traditional costumes, discovered hidden tapas bars and attended private dinners with renowned chefs. These trips, although expensive (just under 10,000 euros for a week), promise unforgettable memories and are always accompanied by a local guide.
In France, Cocotte Food Tour is also making inroads, offering a day's discovery of a city such as Marseille, Cannes or Lille through its good addresses. There's also Néogusto, whose credo is "to combine local encounters, the discovery of a country and culinary experiences". So, would you like to give it a try?
*According to an OpinionWay survey for HelloFresh, dated July 2023.
News & Events
Ewen Frin, 28, founder of Omanori, revolutionizes Breton gastronomybreton gastronomy by supplying it with fresh seaweed thanks to an innovative system of preservation in ponds. Based in Saint-Malo, Omanori meetsa growing demand from restaurateurs for a local, healthy and sustainablehealthy and sustainable.Fascinated by the ocean since his childhood in Brittany, Ewen Frin has long been an avid scuba diver anddiving and spearfishing. After studying business in Normandy and five yearsyears in Paris as a consultant, he decided to return to his roots. "In Brittany,i had an intimate knowledge of the richness of marine resources, particularly seaweedalgae," he confides. When I discovered that seafood cuisine in Paris was often limited toover-fished products like salmon or tuna, I wanted to promote local, virtuous species.he quickly became interested in seaweed, a natural product with gustatory and nutritional properties that are often underestimated.nutritional properties that are often underestimated. "Brittany is home to 700 speciesof seaweed, around thirty of which are authorized for consumption. Each has a unique flavor, texture and color. They are not widely promoted because they are not part of ourgastronomic heritage.Traditionally, seaweed is marketed either dehydrated or "fresh", but preserved in salt.but preserved in salt, which presents major drawbacks for chefs."Salt, which is used to preserve seaweed, requires it to be rinsed abundantly before cooking.cooking them, which spoils them, causes them to lose nutrients and alters their texture", explainsthe seaweed grower. This is where Omanori breaks new ground with a revolutionary principle.Thanks to a partnership with a local company specializing in algae cultivationfreshly harvested seaweed (such as sea lettuce, dulse and aonori) is preserved in tanksare preserved in basins, recreating their natural environment. This allows them to live for severalweeks after harvesting. First picked by hand during high tides on the foreshore, they are then cleaned and purified,they are then cleaned and purified in various basins. "This process enablestheir taste and nutritional properties intact, as if they had just been harvested.as if they had just been harvested, even outside high tide periods",Ewen Frin quickly won over prestigious restaurants such as Maison Vermer inSaint-Malo (2 toques), Ombelle in Dinard (2 toques) and Iodé in Vannes (3 toques).
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