It was somewhat by chance that Nicolas Cadet discovered the world of the disabled in 2009, when he took over the kitchen at the ESAT (Work Integration Establishment and Service) Berthier in Paris. Having opened his first restaurant in Normandy at the age of just 23, the classically-trained chef understands that cooking can be a way of breaking down barriers. He has worked tirelessly to integrate disabled people into the restaurant world. “It’s true that patience is required. Sometimes you have to explain things several times. And sometimes there are outbursts too. But you have to prepare them for the pressures of working in an ordinary kitchen. And he applies this quest for excellence to La Table d’Emeraudes, the ESAT’s restaurant in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, which has held the Maître Restaurateur label since 2013. Having himself become a disabled worker following a stroke, Nicolas Cadet created Performhance in 2019, a company offering on-site training in Esat and adapted companies, to professionalize disabled workers and enable them to find professional outlets. The same year, he launches the Cap Handicook culinary competition, a kind of Top Chef reserved for disabled people, which aims to promote their skills and know-how, and encourage employment opportunities in mainstream settings.
Competition
Cap’Handicook
” Cape for capability. Cape for excellence “The ambition of the Cap’Handicook competition, launched in 2019 by chef Nicolas Cadet is clear: to show that the performances of people with disabilities have nothing to envy to those of able-bodied people in the field of cooking. This “Top Chef” of the disabled world aims to encourage participants on the road to professionalism, to demonstrate their ability to succeed, and above all to remove prejudices in order to facilitate the integration of disabled people into the world of catering. Created to promote inclusion and autonomy, the competition offers a unique platform to candidates in the fields of cooking, pastry-making and room service. The declared aim is to ” push them as far as possible to demonstrate that, despite their disability, they can achieve excellence”.
