Gastro hub: Macron creates centre of excellence for French food

President says aim is to promote culinary traditions and prepare chefs as athletes' to win prizes

The French have long made a meal over what they eat, even if the culinary ritual that starts with an aperitif, proceeds through at least four courses with bread and wine and finishes with a digestif is rarely an everyday event.

Now, having persuaded the United Nations to add the country's renowned gastronomy to the grandly named intangible cultural heritage of humanity", Emmanuel Macron has said he is creating a centre of excellence" to promote France's culinary traditions.