Impossible to run fast with your stomach in your heels. A global giant in collective catering, the French company Sodexo will be responsible for putting out great meals for athletes, employees and spectators in the Olympic village and the 14 competition sites. More precisely, it’s Sodexo Live! which is mobilized, a subsidiary dedicated to sport, culture and events. “We have been working in football, tennis or basketball stadiums for more than twenty-five years and we know the audiences, but also the athletes’ diets,” argues Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, the general director, referring to her presence at Roland-Garros, at the Vélodrome in Marseille or even at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Despite the experience acquired, the Paris Olympic Games promise to be extraordinary. “We are recruiting 6,000 people for service and reception, cooking, management and logistics,” figures HR director Boris Pincot. Among them, a thousand employees “seconded” from the Sodexo group for the occasion, very enthusiastic about the idea of participating in the party, regardless of the assignment: “Senior executives dream of being at the reception of the athletes !”
In the kitchens, it’s time for professionals. More than 200 Sodexo managers – including around ten from abroad – will be on hand to meet all the requirements. A French judoka does not eat like an American gymnast or a Kenyan long-distance runner. “We are talking about 206 delegations of athletes, 35 disciplines, with different diets before, during, and after the competition. Our objective is to participate in their performance, while respecting their eating habits, explains Charles Guilloy, conductor of the stoves. We will offer a wide range, so that each athlete can find what suits them.” In total, the restaurants of the Olympic village, housed in the Cité du cinéma, in Seine-Saint-Denis, will serve 40,000 services per day, from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. One of them will even be open non-stop for the nighttime hunger of athletes who are jet-lagged or need to eat several hours before a morning event.
High-flying dishes in limited edition
On the menu, twice as many plant-based dishes as in previous editions and a share of organic products of 20 to 30%. To halve its carbon footprint, Sodexo also plans to source 80% from France, and even 25% from less than 250 kilometers around Paris. Even if it means reinventing the basics, as in this recipe for lentil dahl, a classic of Indian cuisine: “The challenge is to integrate local green lentils rather than coral lentils,” explains Charles Guilloy. The curry is produced in the southeast of France. And the dish will be served with Skyr, a high-protein yogurt, worked with a dash of lime juice and coriander.” “A third of the offering will be plant-based in the village restaurants, twice as much in spaces open to the public, including a very gourmet hot dog made from plant-based sausage, with a pickle of red cabbage and ginger, and a sauce mustard and honey!”, announces the marketing director of supply and quality, Marie-Laure Estienne. Among athletes, the reduction in animal proteins is well received, she notes. “They are much more aware than before. We are also asked for more and more gluten-free dishes.” Novak Djokovic has been emulated. In total, more than 550 recipes have been developed – including around sixty already tested by the Athletes’ Commission on which multi-medalist biathlon Martin Fourcade sits. Sailing champion Hélène Defrance, also a dietician, even participated in the development of the cards.
And to make French gastronomy shine in the village, Sodexo Live! will pull out all the stops with the collaboration of three French chefs: Amandine Chaignot – already a partner of the company for the restoration of the Petit Palais -, Akrame Benallal, Michelin-starred in Paris, and ex-professional basketball player Alexandre Mazzia, triple-starred in Marseille. In a reserved space, they will offer high-end, limited edition dishes. Enough to reward the winners… and comfort the losers.
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