How the production convinced Minister Barbara Pompili to take part in the show

I promise, this meal was not illegal. It was even filmed by a dozen cameras in front of sixty technicians. This Wednesday, Top chef organizes the first “green test” in its history, during which candidates will have to pass an ecological message through their plates. For the occasion, the chef Mauro Colagreco will judge the dishes in the company of the Minister of Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili, since the competition will take place within his ministry.

The idea of ​​this event appeared in the minds of the members of the production during the preparation of the season, last May. Chef Mauro Colagreco, who had already hosted the show’s teams the previous year in his establishment, was ready to put the table back on track with a challenge around his dish “Oil spill”, which highlights his commitment to defense of the planet. The candidates, for their part, would have to support an environmental cause in a shocking way on their plate.

“Hello the ministry? It is Top chef “

Organize this in the kitchens of Top chef ? Too simple. Getting to Mauro Colagreco’s restaurant? Already done. The production of the show then had the idea of ​​making a phone call to the Ministry of Ecological Transition. “They called us back and said ‘why not’. We met, we explained what we wanted to do, we went to visit the ministry and do some scouting, then they accepted, ”recalls Romuald Graveleau, the program’s producer.

And then, as long as we do, we might as well invite the minister in person to mark the occasion. “We really put ourselves at the disposal of his agenda, slips Romuald Graveleau. It turns out that she had half an hour to devote to us, between two meetings, which corresponded to the time of the tasting. “

Barbara Pompili, who confides in having accepted the invitation “with enthusiasm”, did not hesitate before participating in the program. “It was a good way for me to talk about ecological issues which are very important and to show that they exist everywhere, including in everyday life, she explains to 20 minutes. Having a show where we talk about this in a way other than political shows, I thought it was really a great idea. “

Only Mauro Colagreco’s voice counts

During the program broadcast on Wednesday, viewers will therefore discover the Minister of Ecological Transition in a new role, that of a juror in a culinary competition. “I was not coached,” she replies when asked if she was apprehensive about not having the necessary skills to accomplish such a task. Above all, I didn’t want to pass myself off as someone I’m not. I’m not at all a cooking specialist, especially when I’m next to a great Michelin-starred chef like Mauro Colagreco, I don’t feel very small. “

Barbara Pompili even warns that she “never wanted to go into technical considerations. “The producer of the show also notes that his opinion was asked of him” as an individual and not as a specialist in the world of catering. On the other hand, the public will discover that the minister regularly agreed with the leader Mauro Colagreco when expressing her feelings. “Somehow, I think it’s also not bad to have, on the jury, people who do not have culinary skills but who are a bit the target,” she says.

Her mission, if she accepted it, was to verify that the message that the candidates wanted to convey was visible and readable, even if it involved giving a fork in a plate that does not always respect the codes of a gastronomic dressage at first glance. And that for six different dishes! “I had no trouble finishing them. In the end, they took them away from me before I could finish them, ”she says. On the other hand, in the context of the competition, his opinion will ultimately have little importance since only Mauro Colagreco’s decision will allow one or one of the competitors to avoid the last chance.