President’s chef to enjoy Queen’s delicacies

Chef Machindra Kasture, who is serving the Indian president since 2007 and famous for his delectable Raisina Dal and Sitafal ka Halwa, will be among the 20 chefs from across the world to attend this year’s annual general assembly of the Club des Chefs des Chefs where they will be welcomed by none other than the Queen herself.

Kasture, the man behind the ‘power food’ in all the events in Rashtrapati Bhawan, has won many accolades for his innovative dishes, which also includes ‘Achari Kofta’. However, this time at Windsor Castle in London his role would be different as Kasture along with 19 others will have an opportunity relax and enjoy Queen’s hospitality over discussions, which will surrounds over — ‘Politics divide people, good food always brings them back together’.

The Club des Chefs des Chefs, is world’s most exclusive gastronomic society, with extremely strict membership criteria. To become its members one has to be the current personal chef of a head of state. One member is admitted per country with the exception of China, which has two seats. The main objective of the society is to promote major culinary traditions and to protect the origins of each national cuisine. The Club des Chefs des Chefs also aims to develop friendship and cooperation between its members, who have similar responsibilities in their respective countries.

This year Queen Elizabeth-II will host the General Assembly members from July 19 to 25 at Windsor Castle where the all the chefs will also have a private visit to Buckingham Palace.

In the assembly, Kasture will have an opportunity to meet Mark Flanagan (Vice-Chairman of the club) and Chef to Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom and Cristeta Comerford, Chef to the President of USA Barack Obama and many others.

The concept of the ‘General Assembly of Chefs’ was started way back in 1977 by Gilles Bragard in France. It was founded at the restaurant Paul Bocuse at Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or in France by a chef Gilles Bragard. Since then many head of the states host a private dinner for these chefs. US had played host twice to the Chef des Chefs during the tenure of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. German chancellor Angela Merkel, PM of Canada Jean Chretien and Russian president Dmitri Medvedev besides other world leaders have played host.