BRUSSELS (Europe) – A chef from one of Belgium’s oldest and most prestigious restaurant shuttered by the coronavirus is leading the pack for chefs across Europe.
Chef Lionel Rigolet from Comme Chez Soi feeds homeless people once a week. Usually, his elaborate dishes cost up to 265 euros on average.
Chef Rigolet prepares and serves food to 100 homeless people from his kitchen ever Thursday. This has been the case since Belgium first went into lockdown on March 18th.
Comme Chez Soi remained shuttered but the two Michelin-star chef is making spaghetti bolognese with the same amount of passion that goes into preparing lobster for his fine-dining guests.
“If I can spread the joy of my profession to the homeless, then I’ll do it with pleasure.”
– Chef Lionel Rigolet
Rigolet was approached by a local aid organisation which ran soup kitchens and he eagerly extended a helping hand after the realisation that homeless were denied the chance to eat once a day in local supermarkets and sandwich stores due to the lockdown.
Comme Chez Soi’s manager, and Rigolet’s wife Laurence Wynants, was equally supportive. Her great grandfather had founded the restaurant in 1926.
“We felt that I could also do something. We all think of hospital workers, those who are sick, but there are also those who sleep in the streets.”
– Laurence Wynats, Comme Chez Soi manager
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.