Guillaume Gomez, the head chef of the kitchens of the Elysée Palace and author of the book “A la Table des présidents,” shares some anecdotes about his work. He has been in office since 1997 and has seen many presidents come and go.
Foie gras for the Queen of England. This is one of the most treasured memories of Guillaume Gomez, the head chef of the Elysée Palace. The author of the book “A la Table des présidents” (At the Table of the Presidents) offers a glimpse behind the scenes of these presidential meals.
One of his favorite memories: He recounts the state dinner on June 6, 2014, at the Elysée Palace in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
For this reception, Guillaume Gomez prepared a menu. “I suggested foie gras; I knew the Queen liked it. Problem was, her son Prince Charles was against this specialty.”
A Major Controversy
“François Hollande then proposed a compromise: The Queen should choose the menu. It was the first and only time that a head of state received at the Elysée Palace could select their own menu,” recalls the head chef in Paris Match. The Queen chose foie gras, which she loves very much. “Given the controversy on the other side of the English Channel, the embassy had to defuse the dispute by explaining that it was the Queen’s decision.”
The head chef also looks back at a joint meal of John F. Kennedy and Charles de Gaulle, “one of the first times when gastronomy was brought to the forefront.” With this book, he inspires people to “cook as if they were hosting the president in their own home (…) everything is easy when done with passion.”