For World Refugee Day, Elior Group Solidarities has forged a partnership with the Refugee Food Festival, an international touring event designed to promote the integration of refugees thanks to the universal power of food.

Backed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Refugee Food Festival entrusts restaurant kitchens to refugee chefs in a bid to:

  • foster a change in the public perception of refugees by valuing their talents and culinary heritage,
  • speed up the professional integration of refugee chefs by offering them a springboard to employment,
  • mobilize people by creating food-tasting events enabling them to discover and savor new tastes.

For the 3rd edition of the festival and throughout the year, Elior Group will be welcoming refugee chefs into its restaurants, at Le Ciel de Paris and La Maison de l’Amérique Latine in Paris, as well as in its corporate and school canteens in Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille (France), Madrid (Spain), Bologna (Italy) and New York.

With a long-term commitment, Elior Group is backing the Refugee Food Festival by mobilizing its skills to serve refugee chefs, providing them with a springboard to employment and raising the awareness of its clients and guests.

Chief Executive Officer of Elior Group and Chairman of Elior Group Solidarities Philippe Guillemot stated: ”The Refugee Food Festival particularly reflects our daily values and commitments. With this project, our aim is to encourage our employees, guests and partners to assume more responsibility and to promote our vision of cooking and food which are conducive to integration and sharing.”

At the same time, Elior Group Solidarities is also lending support to La Résidence, which was created by the Refugee Food Festival last year. Located right in the heart of Paris, La Résidence is a Refugee Food Festival restaurant and training center where refugee chefs can test and fine-tune their culinary talents before entering the professional catering stage.

Every 2 to 6 months, La Résidence hands over the reins to a new refugee chef, with refugee status in France. This enables refugee chefs to promote and share the savors of their culinary heritage. Hailing from Syria, Iran and Georgia, all of the invited chefs are skilled professionals.

By backing the Refugee Food Festival, Elior Group underscores its commitment to promoting the discovery of new savors, valuing the culinary heritages of the world and creating convivial events that bring people together, as well as the professional integration of people in need.