Riviera Reporter
Riviera Reporter
THE FRENCH RIVIERA'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS MAGAZINE
THE FRENCH RIVIERA'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS MAGAZINE

Hubert Boivin: Q&A with “Best of Cooking Nice”

Best of Cooking 2016 cover

RR: Hubert Boivin, tell us about your role as President of UPCR, the restaurant owner’s union of Nice and the surrounding area (“Syndicat des cafetiers et restaurateurs de Nice et ses environs”).

HB: My role is to lead and represent the union in front of the various administrative bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), the Union for Business (UPE), the Town Hall, Préfecture and Pôle Emploi.
 On top of that, I’m here to solve any problems that trade union members may face.

RR: Can you share some statistics about Nice’s restaurant industry?

HB: There are 20,745 establishments in this sector, the majority (58%) of which are traditional restaurants. Hotels (18%) and licensed premises (15%) strongly make up the other two groups, while in the Alpes-Maritimes region, casinos and thalassotherapy institutes are also well established.

Over the past ten years, the number of establishments employing staff has increased by 20% overall but this has not been equal across sectors. Restaurants saw a rise of 47%, but hotels and licensed premises saw a decrease of 5% and 10% respectively.

RR: The second edition of “Best of Cooking Nice” is now available. Where did the idea come from?

Hubert BoivinHubert BoivinHB: The “Best of Cooking Nice” presents the savoir faire of restaurateurs in and around Nice through their recipes. You’ll discover a selection of restaurants and beaches, as well as regional products and gourmand delicacies made by artisans du goût.

The concept really is to highlight nissart in the kitchen and promote the homemade trend. This lets readers get inside the minds of the leading chefs on the French Riviera, reproducing their specialties.

RR: What will readers discover and where can they buy it?

HB: “Best of Cooking Nice” is aimed as much at local readers attached to their terroir as tourists wanting to discover the region through Mediterranean cuisine. Foodies looking for great restaurants and culinary ideas will certainly find plenty of them here.

The book (€15) is for sale at Librairie Massena in Nice, city kiosks, the Nice Tourist Office and in the restaurants themselves.

RR: What is unique about restaurants and eating in this part of France?

HB: Nice is the second gastronomic city in France, and its location between the sea and mountains provides many local products labelled “cuisine nissarde”, which originate from between Provence and northern Italy and respect their traditions.

In sampling dishes and produce by these chefs and artisans, you’ll find the sun and the art of living unique to the Nice region.

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