Culinary Excellence: French Chefs Ready to Showcase Gourmet Delights at Paris Olympics

Aside from the sporting action, athletes and visitors to the 2024 Paris Olympics will be treated to something extra special.

That’s because the food on offer is also gold medal-worthy, featuring fresh bread and select cheeses, as well as gourmet dishes prepared by some of France’s top chefs.

Approximately 40,000 meals are expected to be served each day during the Games to the more than 15,000 athletes from 200 different countries housed in the Olympic Village.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy specially prepared snacks at various venues. The extensive vegetarian menu is especially noteworthy.

“It is a rich variety, a huge amount of recipes that will be plant-based that will be made available for the general public to try to experience,” said Food and Beverage Manager Philipp Wurz.

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“I’ll actually be quite convinced about this, they will love it, and they will ask future event organizers to go the same way and to propose more vegetarian food other than what has been proposed in the past.”

Sodexo Live!, the French food services company chosen to oversee catering at the Paris Games’ athletes’ village and 14 venues, said it has developed 500 recipes that will be served at a sit-down eatery for up to 3,500 athletes.

“Of course, there will be some classics for athletes, like pasta,” said Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, Sodexo Live!’s global CEO. However, she claims the food will have a “very French touch.”

Athletes will also have access to “grab and go” food stands, including one focused solely on French cuisine.

Salads, pasta, grilled meats, and soups will complement the daily specials. Cheeses will include high-quality camembert, brie, and sheep’s milk-based Ossau-Iraty from southwestern France.

The Olympic Village will also include a boulangerie that makes fresh baguettes and other breads.

“I will be allowing the athletes to make their own baguettes by hand with me so I can pass on all my expertise as a baker to them,” said baker Tony Dore. “They can make their own baguettes, bake them, and take them home to enjoy and to have the pride of having made a good French baguette.”