Food Influencers Awards 2023, The Celebration of Art de Vivre

It was a Saturday morning, on a 29th of April 2023, with a lot of sun in our hearts, and a few clouds in the sky, happy to join us. A few drops seemed to threaten the big day that was ready to unveil itself to more than 200 guests and participants at the second edition of Food Influencers Awards 2023 at the prestigious castle, Chateau Saint George in Grasse. But love was about to spray them away and keep the good ambiance for a unique and unforgettable day.

All the scents coming from the beautiful city of Grasse took us to this place with its garden and interiors waiting quietly to be swept away in awe and admiration by the guests.

Slowly, everything was catching live with all the partners deploying their craftsmanship in the garden and the Napoleon Salon: Artisan Daqui, Pecherie Azureene, L'Atelier de Socca, Domaine du Blavet, Soleia Nice, Champagne Comte de Cheurlin, Macaron de Nice, Nice PhotoBox, Chef le Chat, Chocolaterie Maison Duplanteur, Chef Nhut Nguyen from Le Grain de Sel restaurant, Akhara Chay from La Vague de Saint Paul restaurant, ZK Chocolatier, Neron Glacier Patissier. An artistic program of live painting by Valentine Costes was slowly revealing itself in front of the curious guests, too. But, the surprise was to last till the final moment of the awards. The big winner was about to be amazed!

The rich program continued with a scented workshop by Fragonard where everyone had the possibility to create their own perfume and go home with it. Everything under this year's theme and fragrance: daffodils!

One of the most successful parts, in the Napoleon Salon, was the mixology bar show signed South Mixology Events. They did art with the molecular cocktails in a way that conquered everyone on the spot! Pure genius and amazing mix of elements from tastes, visuals, entertaining and innovation to awaken all our senses!

Live Cooking Show by Top Chef Jacques Chibois

The story goes on with small steps filled with emotions and thrilling sensations. What we are about to discover next is going to lift us up to the world of gastronomic art: the Live Cooking Show of the Master himself, Top Chef Jacques Chibois, in the gorgeous kitchen of Chateau Saint Georges. A unique recipe made especially for this second edition and competition between food influencers coming from all over France. Saint Jacques Chiffonade with black olives and cedra, fennel fondue with crunchy zucchini from Nice, in rose petals! Do I need to say more? We already could feel its freshness, its subtle scents and colours in a pastel and mirage of senses. Blown away by this craftsmanship that proved, once again, that the true cuisine is about simplicity mixed with love and sharing! It is an art of living by itself that Top Chef Jacques Chibois showed us through all his gestures, words, though all his poetry he put in the kitchen scene. It was a theatrical movement where every piece of the recipe danced in the hands of the master. A show that carried us all in one world: that of the present moment! Exactly the concept that Food Influencers Awards focuses on: the slow living, enjoying life at its own natural rhythm, in all its senses.

Who will be the Best Food Influencer in France? What about the Best Food Photography?

Influencers gathered around the master of cuisine to prepare what was about to happen: their competition. They needed to prepare, for 30 minutes, a publication on their Instagram page with a review of what Jacques Chibois had cooked for them. Their creativity, engagement, message to convey was among the criteria to be taken into consideration by the jury who was impatiently waiting for the publications to be revealed.

The light was slowly penetrating through the veranda's windows as if the time stood still. Only the palm tree outside was moving in a gracious swing as if it showed its impatience to find out who the big winner was. Also, Monsieur Michel Escoffier, the great grandson of Auguste Escoffier, who revolutionized the world's cuisine, stood as a symbol of eternal values, as a pillar in the center of this blissful place. Another key focus promoted by Food Influencers Awards: to preserve the true values!

The publications were on, and the jury started the frenzy of giving notes. The pressure was rising and only the saxophone in the garden was able to put a small stop in thoughts. Who would they choose?

The jury worthy of gastronomic Oscars for the 2^nd edition of Food Influencers Awards

The great jury worthy of gastronomic Oscars: Mario d'Orio, Michel Lefevre, Gilles Brunner, Xavier Laquieze, Alexandre Boulanger, Basile Arnaud, journaliste Philippe Tallois, Martine Ackermann, Antoinette Petit, and of course, Jacques Chibois and Michel Escoffier was deliberating. Whisperings, debates, taking notes, everyone was focused and involved in this big moment. It was their moment that could change people's lives.

The Mayor of Grasse was among us

All of the sudden, the arrival of the Mayor of Grasse was announced. Emotions all over! Everyone wanted to greet the Mayor of the world's capital of perfume! He was here with us, for this second edition of Food Influencers Awards, and we couldn't be more happier and honoured. The Mayor of Grasse, Monsieur Jerome Viaud, was about to award the Best Food Influencer in France along with Michel Escoffier for the Food Photography Prize and Martine Ackermann for the Popularity Prize.

The moment was intense, the envelopes were brought, whispers dispersed all over the place. The big moment was about to happen! The music stopped, we could hear the influencer's breaths slowly pacing, time stood still once again. Everyone was murmuring, still we had only one thought: who will be the lucky winners?

Food Photography Prize awarded by Michel Escoffier

And, Monsieur Michel Escoffier started to open the orange envelope for the Food Photography Prize. Visual creativity was about to be put on a pedestal under the magic words of the famous Michel Escoffier! And we had the winner, the creative Ophelie Collignon! Shouts of joy! With a shy note, Ophelie received her prize right from the legendary hands!

The Best Food Influencer Awards given by the Mayor of Grasse, Jerome Viaud

It was time to let the big winner know that happiness was there! We had the honour to have the prize awarded by the Mayor himself, so the moment was even more prestigious. Slowly unfolding the envelope's bow, Monsier Jerome Viaud pronounced the name of the Best Food Influencer in France: Constance Regnier, from Bordeaux, and her page Au Nom du Gout.

 Everybody cheered her and the emotions were like fireworks dancing in the Napoleon Salon. People were happy, but most of all, the beautiful Constance was thrilled and overwhelmed. Her talent, but also her natural authentic way of being, her loving energy filled the room. We love this kind of people: true, pure, filled with love! And Constance was one of them!

"Yesterday I was no one. Today, I am the Best Food Influencer in France ... an award that will probably change my life!" said Constance Regnier on her Facebook page, Au Nom du Gout.

The music restarted, and the frenzy continued. It was time to enjoy an amazing cocktail by South Mixology Bar. We all spent a fabulous afternoon at the castle, celebrating life, love and sharing, values of a true beautiful society, spoiling our senses, creating unique moments.

Food Influencers Awards will continue to pursue its road in discovering and awarding true values linked to gastronomy, food, art de vivre, in a celebration of life itself!

"In an era of transition and digitalisation, we connect the two worlds: food and lifestyle influencers with the gastronomy experts, in a celebration of l'art de vivre, focusing, at the same time, on preserving the true values of life, on all its levels!" said Andra Oprea, the founder and organizer of Food Influencers Awards.

See you in 2024 in France and all over the world!

Article by its founder, Andra Oprea