Passionate and talented: two adjectives to describe Christophe Prud’homme. The chef has been based in Dubai for nearly 15 years and has worked overseas for 36 years. He hails from Seine-Maritime and is a proud ambassador who flies the flag for the whole of Normandy all over the world. He hosted a Normandy in the Middle East meal on June 6th in tribute to D-Day with two key words: peace and community. He will also put Normandy centre stage for the Rentrée des Associations in Dubai.
After over 36 years at the hot plate and away from the apple orchards, I owe it to myself to bring my knowledge and international experience to my beloved region.
Let me introduce myself…
My name is Christophe Prud’homme, I was born in Normandy where I grew up in the countryside, on a farm near Bézancourt in Seine-Maritime. My brothers, sister and me had a happy childhood in a haven where we learnt to work, share and enjoy life. Family has always been incredibly important: my parents helped us and kept us close. Like the family meals where we all get together, the farm is still in our hearts.
After high school in Gournay-en-Bray, I left for the “big city” and business school in Rouen. At the time, the city sparked my lifelong thirst for travel and adventure. I had a revelation after graduating from Neoma Business School in Mont-Saint-Aignan: I wanted to be a chef. My parents had taught me the importance of good food and getting together for a meal. The other catalyst was Jean-François Langevin, the pastry chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France who gave me my first knife. A symbol! He worked at Lenotre in Bangkok and came from the same village as me: he inspired me. He was a family friend, he was like a father to me. He was my mentor. He got me my first apprenticeship: with Jean-Pierre Cario at La Corbeille, in the 2nd arrondissement in Paris. He was a countryman like me, a Michelin-starred chef from Sarthe. He was tough but made my dream a reality. Then I spent three years in Paris working at the fine dining Michelin-starred Le Pré Catelan, the cherry on the cake – then La Ferme Saint-Simon in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. My experiences helped me understand why people had faith in me. I didn’t want to let them down!
Then I moved to London to work at top hotels. In the meantime, I married Gaëlle from Vernon and we had two children. After that, we spent 5 years in Dublin, 2 and a half in Egypt then we got the call from Dubai…
It seemed like the horn of plenty, a treasure trove… an easy decision. We had our struggles and it’s been a lot of hard work but we’ve been here for 16 years. I was executive chef at 7 hotels working for one of the most important personalities in Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan, brother of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. I currently oversee the kitchens at the Crowne Plaza on Sheikh Zayed Road for the Intercontinental group. I’m also an ambassador for the Academy for a Better World, gastronomy and sustainability.
It involves working on several projects such as promoting apprenticeships and, something that’s crucial nowadays, food waste and changing mindsets among the public and professionals to avoid waste.
Let’s all be creative and protect our environment!
These projects are all supported by my new role as ambassador at Chef sans frontières. Our mission is both to support healthy business development and get involved in any human or humanitarian cause.
In a few words… first and foremost, I’m a proud chef with a passion for cookery, my kitchens, training, career and Normandy roots!
Christophe Prud’homme and Normandy: A lifelong culinary connection
It’s natural… Both my children may have been born in England, but their real Normans at heart! We have a house in Vaux-sur-Eure; we often spend our holidays there. Gaëlle and me have always wanted to pass on our values: family spirit, the dining table as a symbol for togetherness… Normandy means reuniting in a place where good things happen all together. All this time, the distance has only been physical and professional. Returning to our leafy little haven is always a joy. We love the green meadows, the setting, the smells and the many towns and villages to visit: Rouen, Caen, Arromanches, Bayeux, Dieppe, Étretat, Neufchâtel, Cabourg, Deauville etc. It sounds very geographical, but I have a culinary and heartfelt bond with each of these places! Our camembert, teurgoule, neufchâtel, Arromanches lobster crates, Bayeux tripe, Éric Rolland’s Cabourg chocolate, Ghislain’s apples in calvados, good farms, a tasty seafood stew in Dieppe or the legendary duck by Monsieur Gueret and the Maîtres Canardiers in Rouen!
My role as an ambassador
After over 36 years at the hot plate and away from the apple orchards, I owe it to myself to bring my knowledge and international experience to my beloved region. Hervé Morin’s visit as President of the Region a few months ago got me thinking and focused. The idea is now to take Normandy products and services outside the border to prove that we’re a proud force to be reckoned with on the French stage. I’m completely on board.
So I decided to host Normandy themed meals, the first of which was on the milestone date of June 6th. This D-Day, for the Normandy landings in Dubai, meant I could showcase my passion and understanding of Normandy. The meal’s guests included the US Consul, the French Consul, Laurent Rigaud, the French ambassador to the Middle East and members of the French Community Club (FCC) which has regional associations such as Savoie, Alsace, Nord and now, Normandy. The idea was to show that there are Normans in Dubai and we should protect the peace. Fellow German chefs also came to show that this D-Day is an act of peace and brotherhood.
I also want to support AREA which is doing fantastic work promoting Normandy produce. I want to reach out to businesses who need help and support getting into the Middle Eastern market.
On September 17th it’s the FCC event for the Rentrée des Associations in Dubai attended by the French Consul. There will be 350 guests and we’ll give Normandy a worthy showcase with my wife Gaëlle. We’ll have a stand there.
Become a Normandy ambassador abroad
At heart, by adoption, by birth… You’re from Normandy.
More than anything else, you love Normandy: its diversity, its lifestyle, its dynamism.
The network of ambassadors brings together all those who, like you, share the values, the spirit and the desire to bring the region to life.
Together, let’s make Normandy shine.
