The French dairy board, and the European Union were back in Beirut in April for the Butter of Europe campaign, aiming at building awareness on the use, benefits & gastronomic value of European butter, and more especially French butter.
A ‘Butter Kitchen’ was featured on Horeca Trade show, the essential meeting place for Hospitality and Foodservice professionals from April 2 to 5. During the four-day exhibition, two renowned Chefs, Charles Soussin from France and Sleiman Khawand from Lebanon realized amazing recipes on the stand to offer visitors the chance to taste the best of butter from Europe.
Both Chefs demonstrate the superiority of European gastronomic butter, using it in different ways, Chef Sleiman conceived traditional Lebanese recipes, where butter is an essential ingredient in sweet and savoury recipes like pistachios maamoul or Chickpea fatteh with butter. From his side, Chef Charles was using butter in classic French preparations like salted caramel with fruits and also realized some inventive flavoured butters. Professionals visiting the stand were able to try a seaweed and curcuma butter as well as a black truffle butter.
In total, more than 4000 persons visited the Butter Kitchen during the exhibition and not only enjoyed the Chefs recipes but also received the Butter of Europe recipe book.
That same week, an exclusive four-hands dinner was organized on April 4th at the newly opened Ritage Signature by Maroun Chedid restaurant. During the event, Maroun Chedid himself, together with French Chef Stephane Loison realized a unique dinner celebrating gastronomic butter in each course. From revisited traditional French recipes such as frogs ‘legs with potato mousseline and parsley to innovative creations like the sumac butter or the scallops with citrus, butter was enhancing all flavours.
Speaking at the event, Laurent Damiens, Chief Operating Officer at CNIEL, said “Butter from Europe and from France are hundred per cent natural, their unique yellow colour and taste come from the quality of our milk and cream. We are glad to see that these butters are used all over the Middle East and Levant region, and allow Chefs to express their creativity”