Nespresso’s delicate flavours and signature aromas once again took centre stage at the prestigious 18th Constance Culinary Festival, hosted in the hospitality group’s renowned resorts. As a key ingredient in the Café Gourmand competition, Nespresso coffee added depth, expertise, and refinement to this celebrated showcase of pastry artistry.
On Tuesday, 25 March, at Constance Belle Mare Plage, four talented Mauritian pastry chefs’ assistants impressed judges and guests with exquisite, bite-sized desserts, the renowned French “mignardises.” Each participant prepared three creations, with one pastry specially crafted to pair with the newly introduced Nespresso Professional coffee, ORIGINS Indonesia. Their impressive work not only showcased exceptional technical skills but also celebrated the perfect harmony between fine pastry and premium coffee.
The contestants, namely Annaice Moothien and Alexsandra Lacharmante from Constance Belle Mare Plage, as well as Yogesh Halkory and Gayshika Joysury from Constance Le Prince Maurice, all received praise from the jury for their outstanding performances. Following a fierce competition, Annaice Moothien was proclaimed the winner by Pierre Hermé during a prize-giving ceremony at Constance Belle Mare Plage on Saturday, 29 March.
Julien Mario, Nespresso Business Executive Officer for the Middle East and Africa and a member of the jury, commented, “It is always an honour for us at Nespresso to participate in such a prestigious culinary event. The mignardises prepared by the contestants were sublime! Moreover, they were all able to pair their creations with our Nespresso ORIGINS Indonesia, which is quite a delicate task. It has been very difficult for us in the jury to decide the winner, as their pastries allowed a perfect harmony pairing with the unique aromas of this Fairtrade Certified Indonesian coffee, made with wet-hulled beans cultivated by talented Indonesian farmers.”
This year’s Café Gourmand competition reaffirmed Nespresso’s commitment to supporting culinary excellence while shining a global spotlight on local pastry talents. Alongside Julien Mario, the jury was composed of famous international chefs and gourmet connoisseurs including Mercotte, star host of “Le Meilleur Pâtissier” on M6, Pierre Hermé, world-renowned French pastry chef and chocolatier, Stéphane Clévenot, Director Business Unit France at Valrhona, Arthur Gavelle, Pastry Chef Instructor at Valrhona, and Jérôme Faure, Corporate Sommelier at Constance Hospitality Management.
Throughout the week-long Festival, Nespresso offered unique coffee experiences at its dedicated booth in the heart of Constance Belle Mare Plage. Visitors to the Culinary Festival and hotel guests had the pleasure of tasting hot and iced recipes expertly prepared with coffees from the Nespresso ORIGINS and CREATIONS ranges.
Luigi Peccini, Executive Director of Nespresso Mauritius, reflected, “Nespresso has been a proud partner of the Constance Culinary Festival for many years, and we all look forward to the event every year. As always, this edition did not disappoint. Moreover, it was a true pleasure to present the newly introduced Nespresso Professional blend, ORIGINS Indonesia. I believe that there is no better event in Mauritius to showcase the magnificence of products made with true savoir-faire, and that are cherished by the most demanding coffee connoisseurs all over the world.”
Nespresso’s presence at the Constance Culinary Festival is not only about celebrating taste and excellence — it is also an opportunity to highlight the brand’s long-standing environmental commitment. Through a range of concrete initiatives, Nespresso actively promotes the circular economy, both upstream with its sustainable sourcing programmes and downstream through recycling and upcycling efforts.
At the heart of its sustainability vision lies the AAA Sustainable Quality™ Programme, launched in 2003 in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance. This programme helps secure the future of high-quality coffee by addressing systemic risks across the supply chain while improving the livelihoods of farmers and promoting responsible agricultural practices.
In Mauritius, with the logistics support of its official distributor, Scott and Company Limited, Nespresso enables its clients to return their used capsules through its Recycling Programme, ensuring they are given a second life. Coffee grounds are repurposed as natural fertilisers or as ingredients in locally handmade exfoliating soaps, while aluminium capsules are upcycled into unique jewellery pieces by local artisans.
