To all members of the Chaîne

Dear friends, I very much hope this message finds you well.

In this unprecedented worldwide coronavirus situation I wanted to personally reach out to you as members of our beloved Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.

We are in unprecedented times. In all the years of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs since its rebirth in 1950 we have never experienced anything as far-reaching and impactful as Covid-19.

As you are only too aware, our Bailliages around the world have temporarily stopped holding events given the many lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings.

This has of course been done with a heavy heart as we all like to regularly meet to share the pleasures of the table and the camaraderie that the Chaîne brings for us.

But today and tomorrow our first concern will always be the health and comfort of our members, their guests and the staff at the host establishments.

Speaking of which, our thoughts go especially to our Professional members whose hotels, restaurants, resorts, etc have had to close leaving an uncertain personal and professional future.

We are gastronomes united by membership of the Chaîne "family". I know you miss joining with other members of this family but, whilst we cannot predict the future, we can assure you that at the right time our Bailliages will be back in business.

Together with the International Board of Directors, I have been addressing a range of issues, including whether to stage the international competitions and how to hold the Annual International Grand Chapitre and General Meeting.

It had already been decided to postpone until next year the Grand Chapitre of the Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs (OMGD) which was due to have been held in Spain in September.

The good news is that World Chaîne Day on April 25th is going ahead. Coronavirus does not spread through social media, therefore this is the ideal medium for participating in a global raising of the spirits by substituting gathering together with individual participation under the banner “Cooking with the family and sharing it globally”.

Meanwhile, stay home, stay healthy. At the right time I look forward to seeing you attending Bailliage events again. And do also keep in touch with each other.

Vive la Chaîne!

Yam Atallah
President
Paris, March 30, 2020