Tout le monde à table

Champagne house GH Mumm has launched La Table des Chefs, an innovative restaurant with a chef-in-residence programme

Food and Drink 3 Jul 2023

La Table des Chefs

La Table des Chefs

In Reims, deep in the heart of the Champagne region, Maison Mumm has unveiled La Table des Chefs, an innovative culinary experience which will host a new upcoming gourmet talent every three months. Founded in 1827 by a German family of winemakers from the Rhine Valley, the Maison Mumm is renowned for pushing the boundaries of tradition by celebrating adventurous and bold personalities. Housed in the historic Maison Cordon Rouge – the recently refurbished private mansion of the Maison Mumm in Reims, previously reserved only for friends and family of the brand – the restaurant comprises three distinctive salons designed with a sophisticated and well-travelled flair.

Maison Mumm
Maison Mumm

A semi-finalist from season 11 of the French TV show Top Chef, the one-star Michelin chef Mallory Gabsi took over the kitchen of La Table des Chefs in May and will be there until mid-August. We met him during the first dinner service and his infectious personality filled the room: ‘At La Table des Chefs, I have created a place that resembles me – lively and warm,’ he says. Gabsi – who also runs his eponymous restaurant in Paris – has created a menu that merges Belgian home-cooking taste with Tunisian flavours, celebrating his family’s origin. ‘That’s what I call the cuisine of love,’ he smiles.

One-star Michelin chef Mallory Gabsi has taken over the kitchen of La Table des Chefs until August, when he will hand over to another gourmet talent
One-star Michelin chef Mallory Gabsi has taken over the kitchen of La Table des Chefs until August, when he will hand over to another gourmet talent

The continuity to bridge the handovers between chefs will be provided by an impressive list of wines, carefully handpicked by Raimonds Tomsons, the World’s Best Sommelier 2023 and friend of Maison Mumm since 2017. ‘The champagne of the House of Mumm isn’t just great for aperitif,’ he states, as we taste a soft and creamy Reserve Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2015. ‘Complexity, depth and richness make them remarkable gastronomic wines.’ Taking a tour of the restaurant’s cellar, Tomsons showed us his effort to promote the great wine regions of France, such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, as well as up-and-coming producers from the New World. Highlights include an earthy-flavoured Rioja Vintage 2008 made of 100 per cent Tempranillo.

Raimonds Tomsons, the World's Best Sommelier 2023
Raimonds Tomsons, the World’s Best Sommelier 2023

Staying true to Georges Hermann Mumm’s motto, ‘Nec plus ultra: Only the best’, the house has championed daring risk-takers, from explorers to Formula One winners.  Not for nothing, the iconic Cordon Rouge – the silk red ribbon introduced in 1876 by Georges Hermann Mumm which became the house’s trademark – is inspired by the Légion d’Honneur, the highest of French honours. ‘The Maison aims to expand its reach by tapping into young talents with a strong motivation and a fresh mindset,’ explains Marie de Vries, global marketing director at MMPJ. ‘We gave them carte blanche to come up with a menu that incorporates their signature dishes while highlighting the qualities of exceptional wines.’ Gabsi will be followed by Florian Barbarot – chef-owner of the restaurant Quelque Part – on 10 August until 30 November, when the one-star Michelin chef Kelly Rangama will take over.                                          

La Table des Chefs will be open from Thursday evening to Monday lunchtime.

For more information, contact: latabledeschefs@mumm.com; mumm.com