Portfolio: lunch in an art gallery at Sirha Lyon 2025

From 23^rd to 27^th January 2025, Institut Lyfe took part in Sirha Lyon, an unmissable event for the restaurant, hospitality and food service industry. This international trade fair brings together the major players in the sector each year, along with more than 200,000 visitors, to discover the trends, innovations and talents shaping the future of gastronomy.

The institute was part of the Sirha Food Pop-Up, where Visual Arts met Culinary Arts at the Portfolio pop-up restaurant. The occasion was packed with emotions and significance, as artists and chefs drew on their perception, know-how and ideas to create authentic experiences for their audience. Here we take a look back at this immersive journey, an educational project which our Bachelor’s students worked on from ideation to implementation.

After just three days of service, more than 300 happy customers had been won over. A real-life experience for our young talents, which perfectly illustrates our experiential approach to learning.

A gastronomic and artistic experience to awaken the senses

The mission was clear from the start: to offer a variety of interactive culinary artworks showcasing the know-how of chefs and students, while promoting a totally immersive experience alongside enriching interactions with customers.

Framed by minimalist transparent and white decor, the Portfolio pop-up restaurant plunged visitors to Sirha Lyon into a veritable contemporary gallery, where each dish was conceived as a unique work of art. Guests were able to discover a menu dreamt up by our students on the Bachelor’s degrees in International Culinary Arts Management and International Pastry Management, under the direction of Marc Lahoreau, Executive Chef and Laurent Cordonnier, Pastry Chef/Trainer.

4 scenes, 4 works of art, 4 culinary paintings

Four works of art were selected to inspire the chefs and their students. Combining technique, ingredients, flavours, colours and plating skills, the students aimed to capture the essence of the work through a culinary tableau that transcended mere visual reproduction. Their creations expressed not only flavours and aesthetics, but also emotion, atmosphere, and history. Dali, Mondrian, Rothko and Jackson Pollock were the inspiration for their unique dishes.

The menu was both daring and refined, reinterpreting classics of French gastronomy and pastry such as the poultry supreme with truffle cooked in bladder, or artistic presentations of baked Alaska. Each dish provoked a reflection on textures, colours and flavours, creating a unique multisensory experience. The sweet treats ranged from Van Gogh eclairs with a fantastic texture, to soft sugar watches inspired by Dali, with every detail contributing to awaken the senses.

SIRHA is an invaluable opportunity for our students, enabling them to develop practical skills, establish important contacts, and prepare as effectively as possible for a career in the restaurant and hospitality industry that aligns with their aspirations, having gained a deeper understanding of industry expectations. They can explore the latest culinary advances, equipment and techniques, meet world-renowned chefs and suppliers, and benefit from practical and inspiring learning through various workshops and demonstrations.

In addition, the experience of managing the pop-up restaurant “Portfolio” during Sirha Lyon, from menu design to service, allows students to put their organisational and service skills into practice, while tackling real-world challenges in the restaurant industry. – Marc Lahoreau, Executive Chef

The arts of service and tablescaping were also included, as under the expert direction of Bernard Ricolleau, Maître d’Hôtel at Institut Lyfe, students on the Bachelor’s in International Hospitality and Restaurant Management executed an elegant and precise ballet to accompany the culinary creations, much like a musical score communicating the story of each dish.

Each edition of SIRHA offers us the opportunity to open a restaurant that embodies innovation, rooted in the research and creativity of our students. It remains an exceptional space for highlighting and applying professional expertise in a real-world setting Serving as both an incredible showcase and a hands-on training ground, this space offers discerning and curious customers a firsthand demonstration of technical skills across all facets of the hospitality and restaurant industry. – Bernard Ricolleau, Maître d’Hôtel/Trainer at Institut Lyfe.

In addition to the immersive experience at the restaurant, our students also carefully developed a take-away offering for visitors to Sirha Lyon. From the brilliantly textured Van Gogh éclairs and Mondrian Millefeuilles to the ‘Temps perdu’ pastry reproducing Dali’s soft watches, every detail is designed to awaken the senses.

Portfolio restaurant: founded on our experiential training philosophy

Portfolio is much more than a simple pop-up restaurant: it embodies the essence of our educational approach. The concept originated from the Olympiads, an internal competition at the school that marks the end of the third year for students on our Bachelor’s in International Hospitality and Restaurant Management. Several companies submit real-life projects, which our students work on as a team for two weeks.

During the most recent edition, our third-year students on the Bachelor’s in International Hospitality and Restaurant Management presented their vision to GL events.

Taken with the idea of transforming gastronomy into an artistic experience, the potential of this immersive restaurant was immediately recognised by the company that had presented the task: the GL Events group, organiser of Sirha Lyon. And that’s how our students put their plan into action, making their Portfolio a reality! This educational project engaged the students’ skills in developing a concept and business plan, project management, cookery, patisserie, and customer service, all while strengthening links with respected industry partners.

We put our whole heart into the design of this project. Learning that we had been selected by GL Events to become the next Food Pop-Up at Sirha Lyon 2025 was a real achievement, which we welcomed with great joy! The four of us are very excited to see our idea come to life at Sirha and to see visitors participate in this experience. – Louise, the student behind the Portfolio project

Partners of excellence working with us

Portfolio would not have been possible without the support of our many partners:

Alain Milliat / Dammann Frères / DUNI / Eternum / Henri Julien / Innovorder / Jean Dubost / Koppert Cress / Lusini / Malongo / Métro / Monin / NOA / PCB / Peugeot Saveurs / Ponthier / Pyramidor / Repro Concept / Stölzle / Zen Chef

Taking part in Sirha Lyon is an invaluable opportunity for students at Institut Lyfe. The event provides them with the opportunity to hone their skills in a real-world setting, collaborate with top-tier professionals, and meet the expectations of a discerning audience.