In January 2027, PONANT will combine haute cuisine with diplomacy and polar exploration on a special voyage through the Gulf of Bothnia aboard Le Commandant Charcot, in partnership with the Club des Chefs des Chefs (CCC).
Guests will experience the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland while engaging in intimate exchanges with some of the world’s most esteemed culinary and diplomatic figures.
At the centre of this immersive experience is guest of honour Cristeta Comerford, the longest-serving former White House Executive Chef. Comerford, the first woman and first person of Asian descent to hold the role, has served five presidents across eight administrations and orchestrated over fifty State Dinners.
“The simple act of eating a meal together creates bonds,” she said. “Culinary diplomacy is an essential reality. Every meal, especially State Dinners, is a unique opportunity. There are no second chances, everything has to be perfect the first time.”
Guests will enjoy iconic dishes once served at official dinners, alongside lectures and discussions shedding light on behind-the-scenes moments at the White House and the Élysée Palace. These events aim to highlight the vital role of gastronomy in diplomacy.
Founded in 1977 by Gilles Bragard, the Club des Chefs des Chefs is considered “the world’s most exclusive gastronomic society,” with membership limited to personal chefs of heads of state or executive chefs of state reception venues.
Bragard describes the mission simply: “If politics divides people, a good table always reunites them.”
Joining Comerford aboard Le Commandant Charcot are other distinguished figures, including Guillaume Gomez, former Head Chef at the Élysée Palace and now France’s Ambassador for Gastronomy, and diplomat Sylvie Bermann, who served as France’s ambassador to China, the UK, and Russia.
