Opening Doorz

By Our Correspondent | Opening Doorz Editorial | March 02, 2018

As the Hublot & Cheval Blanc Courchevel Slalom took place, yesterday at Courchevel, France, representatives Philippe Tardivel, Chief Marketing Officer, and Benoit Lecigne, General Manager France, Belux, UK, Ireland, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, welcomed Yannick Alléno, the French chef with a brace of three-Michelin-starred restaurants to his name, as the Swiss watch brand’s new ambassador.

Coming from a family of bistro owners, Yannick Alléno’s passion for cooking dates back to his early years. In 2013, the Parisian chef created the Cuisine Moderne movement, a revolutionary and visionary approach to the culinary arts and the base for which he outlined in several works in the Réflexions d’un cuisinier (Reflections of a Chef) collection. Now the head of sixteen restaurants across the world, two of which have been awarded three Michelin stars—Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc Courchevel and Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris—Yannick Alléno brings his focus on local produce and contemporary flair to four continents. He perfectly embodies the values so dear to Hublot: passion, excellence and commitment.

“I am truly honoured to have joined the Hublot Family and to represent the culinary arts within this pool of excellence. Our profession often relies on precision timing, and we share with watchmaking the fundamental values of tradition and innovation,” Yannick Alléno, said as he addressed the august gathering.

And where better to announce this exceptional partnership than Courchevel 1850? Last season, the watch brand reopened its boutique in the resort’s Rue du Rocher, redesigning it as an Alpine chalet combining tradition and modernity in the purest respect of Hublot’s guiding principles. Within this resort, Hublot has built solid partnerships with ESF Courchevel 1850 and Maison Cheval Blanc Courchevel.

“Hublot is proud to welcome chef Yannick Alléno into the Hublot Family. As a chef, as a celebrity, and as a man, he perfectly embodies the values so dear to Hublot: passion, excellence and commitment, the desire to define new codes and to elevate a country’s heritage to new heights.”
                                                                                            —Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO, Hublot

With these two partners, Hublot organised the ninth annual running of its famed Slalom event yesterday, which took place within a warm, friendly (and decidedly gourmet) atmosphere! While around a hundred participants, each accompanied by an instructor from ESF Courchevel 1850, took to their skis to deliver the perfect rhythm and precision demanded by this course, their fervent supporters were able to enjoy a delicious 3-star ‘snack’, prepared by Chef Yannick Alléno and Cheval Blanc Courchevel, all within a stunning fire-and-ice setting. Popcorn, crêpes with tasty regional fillings, Hublot-themed biscuits and waffles, home-made marshmallows in Cheval Blanc Courchevel colours… young and old alike were spoiled with sweet treats accompanied by Cheval Blanc Courchevel’s signature hot chocolate and mulled wine.

To round off this most enjoyable day, the participants were invited to Cheval Blanc Courchevel, the resort’s crowning jewel where Yannick Alléno has been in charge of the culinary offering for the last eight years, with the Le Triptyque restaurant and, famously, the Le 1947 restaurant. It is within this intimate refuge—with just 22 covers—that the chef explores the range of his talent, and his palate, striving to bring a contemporary edge to the culinary heritage of Haute-Savoie. From his minutely detailed preparation to his immaculately presented plates, the unexpected, sometimes unique, pairings are all infused with the purest emotion.

Whilst enjoying an Alpine-themed cocktail specially created by Yannick Alléno at Le Bar, the guests watched a ‘live’ cooking demonstration and tried some innovative ‘Alpine Sushi’ prepared before their very eyes. Live music and fire dancing added to the rhythm of this evening, all on the theme of fusion between tradition and modernity. The Art of Fusion, Hublot’s motto, is what unites the Swiss watch brand and the Chef, who yesterday sealed their partnership. After a dessert—shaped like a mountain, and accompanied by the stylised ‘H’ of the Hublot brand—was flambéed in traditional Génépi liqueur, Chief Marketing Officer Philippe Tardivel presented Yannick Alléno, the twice-awarded three-star chef, with a Hublot watchmaker’s apron embroidered with his name, in a symbolic gesture.

The perfect welcome for Yannick Alléno as he joins the Hublot Family!

Also Read: The Eagle has landed… on Hublot!