TGV Lyria Culinary Competition: gatesolutions Drives Culinary and Operational Excellence at 320 km/h

It is with great pride that we announce the winner: Michaël Fessler. Selected from over 200 applicants, the winner impressed a jury composed of chefs Michel Roth and Danny Khezzar, alongside TGV Lyria passengers and followers through an online vote. Accompanied by a young commis from the CIFA d’Auxerre, he mastered a four-hour "mystery basket" challenge, demonstrating exceptional technical mastery. His original creation, balancing inventiveness with logistical feasibility, will now be officially featured on the "La Table" menu for Autumn-Winter 2026-2027.

"This competition was about bringing the nuance and diversity of flavors onto the train," states Michel Roth. Danny Khezzar adds: "The creativity of this young talent proves that it is possible to combine technical skill with haute cuisine, even in the context of high-speed rail service."

Valentin Thomas, Directeur Général France of gatesolutions, concludes: "Serving a fresh, warm gourmet meal within the highly restricted space of a train remains a daily triumph. This competition highlights our capacity to blend culinary artistry with logistical precision, ensuring exceptional service quality for every traveler."

For media enquiries: mediacontact@gategroup.com

For competition inquiries: info@gatesolutions.com

About gatesolutions

gatesolutions is a subsidiary of gategroup, the world’s leading provider of airline catering, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. gatesolutions develops tailor-made food and hospitality concepts for rail catering and airline lounges (Uqonic) and produces high-quality meals for the travel market on a large scale (Evertaste). In addition, the globally leading gatesolutions company deSter develops, produces, and distributes sustainable service concepts for airlines, railway companies, and the food service/QSR on-the-go market.