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Roland Menetrey: Organizer of the XIV International Gourmet Festival
“We don’t want a massive festival, just a successful one”
1. It is said that those who are passionate about their profession rest only once they have achieved perfection. With a slight difference, this applies to renowned Swiss chef Roland Menetrey, a member of the organizing committee of the Puerto Vallarta Gourmet Festival, who takes a pre-winter break from his restaurants in the United States each year to visit Puerto Vallarta for this event. The difference, however, is that Menetrey rests by providing ideas, experience and creativity to the most important culinary event along the entire Pacific.
2. In an interview during the opening of the XVI Gourmet Festival, chef Menetrey stated that this year’s festival will certainly be a hit, with new events intended to involve more members of the public in these culinary activities.
3. Regarding the growing popularity of this annual event, Roland has established clear guidelines: “The festival has grown each year, but now it must grow under the strictest quality control. We don’t want a massive festival, more like a good restaurant that offers small portions of exceptional cuisine.”
4. He proudly comments that, as an organizer, he is very happy that the festival includes 24 of the best restaurants in the region. “When the festival was born, it was designed to be an exchange of ideas for the chefs, but over the years, the public was invited to participate in special events, so now it is not just for the chefs but for public participation.”
5. With visible pride, he noted that, although he was not part of the festival’s founding team, he joined with the idea of contributing to the development of fine cuisine in this region. “The festival has received its share of internal benefits by firmly establishing a familiar culinary culture, as well as training local chefs, placing Puerto Vallarta among the most select tourism markets.”
6. Chef Roland remembers buying his home in Puerto Vallarta in 1975. Although there were restaurants, “There was nothing outstanding. Now, it’s the opposite. There are many good restaurants, and constant change has elevated the culinary level of the region. I have traveled this country. I know good restaurants in Mexico City, Guadalajara and León, but Vallarta has about 30 good restaurants.”
7. Roland, as his friends call him, is satisfied with what the festival has achieved. “There are many Mexican chefs of renown who are now preparing different dishes, and a following has been created among locals and visitors who enjoy the culinary arts and become involved in these activities.”
By: Rodrigo López Becerril
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