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The collaboration between the K2 Palace in Courchevel and the nunshen Maison embodies excellence and innovation in the world of gastronomy and luxury hospitality. Each year, this partnership grows stronger through immersive training sessions, bespoke food-and-tea pairings and a constant pursuit of a unique sensory experience.
This year again, nunshen supports the teams of the Le Sarkara pastry restaurant, doubly starred in the Michelin Guide. The aim is to deepen their knowledge of the history of tea and to master the service rituals offered in food-and-tea pairings.
Unique pairings, signed by Chef Sébastien Vauxion and Carine Baudry, Sourcing and Creation Director at nunshen.
Carine Baudry leads a dedicated day of training, offering sommeliers and front-of-house teams a complete immersion in the world of nunshen. From the discovery of the plantations and cultivation methods to the leaf-processing stages and the art of tasting, this experience aims to convey the richness and excellence of nunshen tea through every step of its journey.
How important is training your teams in tea service and knowledge?
I consider that the complexity of teas is close to that of the world of wines. For me, it is essential to run regular training, as in the world of sommellerie; for this, I place great importance on Carine Baudry’s expertise. In fact, Carine recently led a food-and-tea pairing workshop for the K2 teams.
In your view, how does the teams’ in-depth knowledge of tea improve the customer experience?
Good advice allows our sommeliers to better showcase the teas on offer. When the discourse is mastered, it is possible to take the customer towards new experiences. The work is done on emotional approaches and new rituals.
What are the main challenges in raising teams’ awareness of tea in gastronomy?
For our teams, the pairings and service are adapted to the Sarkara world. As with great wines, our teas are offered for tasting in Zalto Pinot tasting glasses. We are behind this idea of serving teas in wine glasses, and have been since December 2017.
This new way of approaching tea service corresponds perfectly to the pastry cuisine imagined by Sébastien Vauxion.
Have you noticed a change in your customers’ appreciation of teas thanks to this training?
A large part of our international clientele already has a daily approach to tea; offering around fifty teas from the finest terroirs encourages consumption and the clientele’s desire for discovery. The K2 establishments are recognised for having developed the Tea experience. The diversity of the offering and the training of the teams allows our clientele to develop a wonderful experience around the greatest teas.
Jean-Alain Baccon – CEO LE K2 Collections ©Stéphane_Berthe