FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & LEISURE MANAGEMENT
CHEF PASCAL BONNAFOUS
Senior Lecturer
University of Toulouse (France)
A former chef and restaurateur for over a decade, Pascal has been an “all-terrain” trainer in cooking for 20 years. He appreciates human exchanges, gastronomic discovery and culinary mixing. He transmits his passion for cooking to a very diverse audience every day. The mixture of cultures, techniques and Asian products that he rubs shoulders regularly, naturally guide him towards the realization of fusion cuisine, rich in exotic flavours, powerful spices and explosive fresh herbs. He is now a senior lecturer in our partner University of Toulouse (France), as well has been granted the prestigious award of “Disciples of Escoffier”.
CHEF NICOLAS THOMAS
Owner
La Promenade (Michelin-starred restaurant)
Chef Nicolas Thomas is the owner of Michelin-starred restaurant “La Promenade”. He was a professional cellist for many years in the Toulouse Chamber Orchestra and had a career change in 2010 where he put down his cello and picked up a chef’s hat instead. He opened his own restaurant in 2012 in Verfeil. At the age of 35, Chef Nicolas Thomas won his first Michelin star in February 2019, after being crowned "Young Talent 2018" by the culinary guide Gault et Millau. He is also the winner of the Lucien Vanel Prize in 2016. An award given to the best restaurants in Toulouse, France by Académie Lucien Vanel. Previously having spent time at Michelin-starred restaurants En Marge and O'Saveurs, Chef Nicolas experiments with modern and inventive cuisine, sourcing local and organic produce.
MR. FRANCOIS BOURGON
Owner
Fromagerie Xavier
Francois Bourgon a market developer with a business degree. He took over his father’s cheese dairy company in 2004 called Fromagerie Xavier and has honoured his legacy of tradition and know-how. Cheese-aging is a delicate and demanding craft which Francois has mastered to the point of being named Best Craftsman in France (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in 2011. All his cheeses are made of raw milk only to preserve the original taste of the cheese. Francois works closely with different farms in France and age the cheese in his own cheese maturation cellar in Toulouse, South of France. He is still a businessman at heart. Francois has launched a subscription service for cheese boxes and a training centre focusing on wine, cheese and bread.