For 5 days, Sirha Lyon will be hosting the world's most renowned culinary competitions, including the Bocuse d'Or and the Coupe du Monde de Pâtisserie. Walloon chef Nicolas Tournay is captain of the Belgian team for the International Catering Cup. He is taking part with his second-in-command Kevin Bernard.
As the gates open to Sirha Lyon, the world's leading food and catering trade show, until January 27, the International Catering Cup (ICC) chefs are already in the starting blocks. Among them, Nicolas Tournay with Kevin Bernard (second) and Raphaël Adam (coach) form the Belgian team.
“This is the third time I've taken part in this competition. I already took part in 2019 and 2023”, says Nicolas Tournay, who in 2019 won the prize for best fish tasting with Arnaud Hamoline, the owner of the Mont-à-Gourmet restaurant in Courcelles, where he has worked for 10 years.
Premier Cuisinier de Belgique award
After studying at the Fleurus hotel school, where he met Arnaud, Nicolas Tournay began working at l'Essentiel in Temploux with Raphaël Adam, who is now his ICC coach. “Then I worked for a year at Prieuré Saint Géry before returning to l'Essentiel for four years. After that, I worked for a year at Au Gré du Vent before accepting Arnaud's offer. I've now been working at Mont-à-Gourmet for 10 years”, Nicolas Tournay points out before his departure for Lyon.
The Walloon chef is no stranger to culinary competitions. “In 2020, I won the Prix Prosper Montagné. In doing so, I became the Premier Cuisinier de Belgique. This competition had a real impact on the restaurant, as many customers came from Flanders. It was broadcast on the RTBF news channel. We had one person on the phone all evening, taking reservations,” explains Nicolas Tournay.
“I enter competitions mainly for the professional experience and the learning curve. It's intensive work. It's not easy. But it's always very rewarding. It's also an opportunity to meet chefs. Two years ago, I met Régis Marcon (editor's note: three-star chef). We had a laugh together. Outside the competition, I don't think I'd have had the chance to meet him. The most important thing for me is to get feedback from chefs and personalities who are recognized by the profession.”
What is the International Catering Cup?
The International Catering Cup is open to all catering professionals aged 23 and over, working in the catering trade (delicatessen, restaurant, hotel, patisserie, etc.) as employees or company directors. Each team is made up of a captain, a teammate and a coach, with one team per country represented. A total of 12 teams will face off on January 23 for the final round of the competition.
For this new competition, he has surrounded himself with his second-in-command at the Mont-à-Gourmet restaurant and his mentor at L'Essentiel, Raphaël Adam, as coach. “This year, the idea is to take part in the International Catering Cup with the restaurant team, to make things easier. What's more, Kevin was highly motivated to have an experience like this. We've been working together for five years now. We've got a certain automatism and we're able to organize our work. We're also very complementary. I love making plated desserts, whereas he prefers pastries. I hate working with chocolate, whereas he loves it,” confides Nicolas Tournay.
Hours of training
Before leaving for Lyon, Nicolas Tournay and Kevin Bernard didn't count the hours they worked. “It's complicated to combine the restaurant with training. As soon as we have a bit of time, we train. We work afternoons or Saturdays. We do a lot of tests. There's always a lot of reflection, and the role of the coach is very important. He's the one who decides on a lot of things,” explains the chef.
Some of these recipes are tested with the restaurant's customers. “We don't test the whole dish, but for example, as an appetizer, we serve the poultry terrine we use to garnish the poultry. We've also included two or three items from the competition in our holiday menu. This allows us to rehearse and master each stage of a recipe,” reveals Nicolas Tournay, who will say no more about the recipes he has developed for the International Catering Cup final.
Having twice finished in fifth place, Nicolas Tournay isn't putting much pressure on himself for his third appearance at the ICC. “I don't have a specific goal other than not to finish last. During the Prix Prosper Montagné competition, I saw journalists saying that I didn't stand a chance. So I entered without any pressure and I won. So I don't think there's any point in putting any pressure on myself for this competition”, he smiles.
Signature dishes
If you'd like to discover Nicolas Tournay's cuisine, the chef is at work in the kitchens of the Mont-à-Gourmet restaurant in Gouy-lez-Piéton. And he already has several signature dishes to his credit. “I have two in particular. There's the confit egg. It's a dish I made for a competition run by Belgium's master chefs. We use it all the time on the menu, because our customers love it. And I also have a dessert based on squash from the market gardener next to the restaurant. We try to surprise people, and it works quite well,” emphasizes Nicolas Tournay.
The Walloon chef also likes to combine land and sea in his dishes. “We try to highlight local products. For example, we offer 100% Walloon cheeses. We try to showcase our region,” he concludes.
