The Louisiana Office of Tourism joined New Orleans & Company and Ascension Parish’s tourism commission, known as Louisiana’s Sweet Spot, July 19-20 at the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival in London.
The event was part of a Year of Food trade and media mission, which featured Louisiana chefs as they demonstrated the state’s culinary traditions and offered samples throughout both days of the festival, according to a news release.
Ascension Parish was represented by Houmas House chef Jeremy Langlois, who offered a sampling of his curried pumpkin bisque with shrimp and demonstrated local staples, including gumbo and shrimp creole.
According to his website, Langlois’ culinary career began 30 years ago when he joined renowned Chef John Folse and the White Oak Plantation team.
Folse saw both his potential and enthusiasm for cooking and offered him a full scholarship to the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.
As the executive chef at Houmas House, Langlois has received several accolades over the years.
Joining Langlois in London was New Orleans’ Tyler Spreen of Herbsaint Bar and Restaurant, who shared boudin as well as crab and watermelon gazpacho during the event.
Additionally, Bayou Rum offered samples of their rums, from white and spiced to special flavors like the XO Mardi Gras and Bayou Reserve.
Partner representatives met with travel and food media prior to the start of the event, which brought thousands of visitors per day, according to the release.
“Louisiana has some of the most unique flavors in the world created by our amazing and talented chefs,” Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said in the release. “By joining this festival, we were able to share those flavors with thousands of people with a passion for food and travel.”
The chefs and partners were featured in satellite radio interviews with stations that included BBC Radio London as well as a television appearance on GB News.
“The UK is consistently our largest overseas market,” Assistant Secretary Doug Bourgeois said in the release. “We know these travelers want authentic experiences. They love our food and the special cultural blend that makes up Louisiana. It’s been a great week of meeting with travel trade and media and sharing our delicious traditions with consumers in London. We can’t wait for them to visit to try even more of our iconic cuisine.”
The group was set to travel to Dublin following the festival to meet with Irish travel media.
Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow at facebook.com/WeeklyCitizen and facebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief.
