We celebrated our golden jubilee celebration, marking 50 years of dedication to fine dining and gastronomic innovation.
Day 1 started with an aperitif at the Intercontinental Hotel, including Laurent Perrier champagne, bites from the 16 countries where JRE is present, and a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese-cracking ceremony.
An exquisite Gala dinner followed at the Carreau du Temple with a menu prepared by 5 JRE Chefs: Paolo Casagrande*** from Restaurant Lasarte; Ana Ros*** from Hiša Franko; Enrico Bartolini*** from Mudec; Tobias Bätz** from Aura; and Eveline Wild from Der Wilde Eder, World Pastry Champion.
We looked back on 5 decades of top gastronomy and celebrated the people who made JRE possible. We paid tribute to our founders, Nicole Seitz and Jacques Marnier-Lapostolle with an award given to Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, daughter of Jacques Marnier-Lapostolle. She gave a heartfelt speech reflecting on JRE’s rich history and the legacy of its founders.
Tribute was also paid to the past JRE-International Presidents and to Hans van Manen, CEO for over 20 years. The audience thanked Hans with a standing ovation. Gwendal Poullennec, International Director Michelin Guide said: “I did not want to miss the 50th birthday of an old friend, JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs.” The Gala Dinner concluded with a live music performance.
Day 2 started with a breakfast at the Intercontinental Hotel. We enjoyed coffee from Illycaffee, tea from DAMMANN Frères, and bread from Sain Boulangerie.
We walked the streets of Paris and arrived at Théâtre Édouard VII for the congress. The morning program included debates with exceptional guest speakers around three topics:
– The future of fine dining with Daniel Canzian – Vice-President of JRE; Renzo Cotarella – CEO of Marchesi Antinori; Giuseppe di Martino – CEO & Owner of Pastificio dei Campi and Alexander Herrmann – Owner of Restaurant Aura.
– A sustainable business model with Andrea Illy – Chairman of illycaffè; Beatrice Cornacchia – Executive VP of Mastercard; Peter Čas – CEO of Vaider Group AG; Ernesto Iaccarino – Owner of Don Alfonso 1890 Restaurant.
– The impact of global digitalization with Gasper Puhan – VP of JRE and John Michael Denhof – Board President of Nova KBM Bank.
The winners of the JRE 2024 Awards were unveiled, showcasing the pinnacle of culinary brilliance within the JRE community. JRE recognized outstanding individuals across six categories:
– Entrepreneur of the Year by Mastercard – Enrico Bartolini, Restaurant Mudec, Italy
– Chef of the Year by Pastificio Dei Campi – Alexander Wulf, Restaurant Troyka, Germany
– Sommelier of the Year by Antinori – Nina Bratovž, Restaurant JB, Slovenia
– Sustainability Award by Swan Hellenic – Stefano Pinciaroli, Restaurant PS, Italy
– Innovation Award by Carpigiani – Ryan Blackburn, Restaurant Old Stamp House, United Kingdom
– Taste of Origin by Parmigiano Reggiano – Uwe Machreich, Restaurant Triad, Austria
We also got to meet the first AI chef, created in partnership with Colossyan, Max, the alter-ego of Massimiliano Mascia, was a co-host during the Congress. Did you know that he can speak all the languages of the 16 countries where JRE is present?
Carreau du Temple was the location for the Chef 2 Chef Summit, the program included Masterclasses, demos, wine tastings and a showcase of leading producers, innovative products, and culinary trends. Tignanello vertical wine tasting from Marchesi Antinori; Gran Reserva ‘904 vertical wine tasting from La Rioja Alta S.A ; Clos Apalta wine tasting; Pastificio dei Campi pasta masterclass with Chef Peppe Guida; Carpigiani gelato demo with JRE Chef Stefano Pinciaroli; Foie Royale ethical foie gras demo with JRE Chef Annett Teich; Planted plant-based meat demo.
We thank the organizers, participants, and partners for making this evening possible.