To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Coordination Comitee of the Ile de France Region Confréries (Brotherhoods)) had big plans: a ceremony, a mass in Notre Dame Cathedral, which had been magnificently restored after the terrible fire that devastated it six years ago.
Nearly 600 people from around 60 brotherhoods attended.
Aware of the appeal of a ceremony in the renovated Notre Dame Cathedral, we published an article to draw our members’ attention to it. As a result, many participants belonged to brotherhoods that are members of the FICB : Knights of the Vine of the USA, The Oregon Wine Brotherhood, as well as members of several Swiss brotherhoods: Fédération suisse des confréries oenogastronomiques (including Gruyère and Chevaliers du Bon Pain), Académie du Cep, Ordre de la Channe, Guillon, Potes au Feu, etc.; and the Chevaliers Bretvins from Loire-Atlantique.
Several participants gathered on Friday for lunch at the wine museum to sample the excellent cuisine of chef Valentin Néraudeau.
The ceremony was followed by a lunch cruise on the Seine and a visit to the Wine Museum.
The following day, the festivities continued with a visit to the International Gastronomy Village, held on the banks of the Seine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. This event takes place every year and gives food lovers the opportunity to discover specialities from around the world.
A buffet showcased products from the Ile de France region and other terroirs, such as the famous Brie de Meaux cheese, Paris ham, scallops from the Brittany coast, Nanteuil terrine, etc., served with Chablis wine and desserts made by the Confrérie de Pithiviers.
Lunch and walks around the village were accompanied by the Michel Cabut Quintet.
These two days charmed the many participants, including around fifty people from abroad, who belong to brotherhoods that are members of the FICB.
We see this as proof that a flexible two-day format, with accommodation left up to each individual, can perfectly complement the range of services that the FICB can promote to its members. We will encourage our members in this direction.
