Kitchen the heart of hospitality
The traveller to the Relais & Châteaux hotels is bound to notice a certain similarity in them, and his or her attention is likely to be drawn to the Manifesto prominently displayed. It presents an innovative vision of the hospitality profession based on authenticity, a balanced approach and timeless values such as hospitality, openness to diversity and sharing passion with others, among others.
The manifesto and its interesting history
Founded in 1954, Relais & Châteaux is an association of some 580 exceptional hotels and restaurants around the world, owned and managed by independent entrepreneurs - most often families - who are passionate about their craft and deeply committed to creating warm, lasting relationships with their guests.
Relais & Châteaux members protect and promote the richness and diversity of the world's culinary and hospitality traditions to ensure their continued development. They are equally committed to preserving local heritage and the environment, as expressed in the Association's Vision Statement presented to UNESCO in November 2014 . in the presence of distinguished guests and an audience of members and journalists from around the world.
The whole is encapsulated in the aforementioned Manifesto containing 20 commitments for a better world through cuisine and hospitality. Its message can be summarised as follows:
- maintain a diversity of cuisines and hospitality
- share a passion for all that is good and beautiful in this world
- work together to create a more humane world.
Authenticity and timeless values
Relais & Châteaux is more than an association, it is a movement with a strong and articulate vision for the hospitality profession, based on the protection of the environment and the diversity of global cultures. It is a community of passionate people. This authenticity, captured us so much that we decided to join the association in 2017 as the second hotel in Poland. And we are talking about the timeless values we identify with, such as hospitality, cuisine, culture of excellence, art of living (l'art de vivre), passion, beauty or humanity.
Guiding principle "Delicious journeys"
It is noteworthy that Relais & Châteaux invites people from all over the world to savour so-called 'delicious journeys', discovering the uniqueness of each local culture and sharing a unique, unforgettable experience.
Culinary tradition plays a key role in these experiences. It forms a strong foundation in the hotels belonging to the Relais & Châteaux association, making these establishments stand out from the rest. One might even be tempted to say that, in this case, 'cuisine is the heart of hospitality'. The Hotel Quadrille and the in-house restaurant White Rabbit are perfectly in line with this.
The culinary philosophy of the White Rabbit restaurant. What makes it unique?
Chef Marcin Popielarz's proposal is Polish and Pomeranian cuisine, but in a creative way. Marcin likes to transform traditional recipes by decomposing them. He creates new surprising forms according to his own ideas based on the latest cooking techniques. The link here is certainly flavour - full, rich, original, the composition of which takes us back in our imagination to various regions of Poland, and even further, to the times of our childhood. This is what the originality of the White Rabbit's culinary journeys so valued by restaurant guests is all about.
A cuisine philosophy that combines tradition with modernity is one of several factors that contribute to the uniqueness of this restaurant. Another trump card of Marcin Popielarz's authorial approach is his creation and ability to create beautiful things: composing peculiar works of art on plates that appeal to all the senses. He is also close to the idea of sustainability, promoting good cooking practices such as: "less" or even "zero waste". It is thanks to this approach that the products in the White Rabbit restaurant are used to their maximum potential - including their usually overlooked parts - forming the basis for stock, sauces, powders or various types of chips and additives. The conscious selection of local and seasonal ingredients for the dishes and the reliance on regional, reliable suppliers also play an important role here.
Sustainable cuisine, good practices
An example of following new practices is joining the 'We eat plant-based' project popularising meat-free cuisine in restaurants. Marcin joined the first ambassadors of this concept in 2017, supporting the Chefs for Change initiative. As a result, vegan cuisine became a permanent feature at the White Rabbit - initially as short set menus, then as selected a la carte dishes, and finally taking the form of a full tasting menu. Here, too, Martin's creative personality combined with a touch of perversity made itself known, as he set out to show that vegan cuisine could be inspiring, creative and multidimensional. This culminated in an original line of plant-based preparations launched by him in 2019. In turn, White Rabbit's pastry chef Karolina Kowalczyk joined the ambassadors of Plantly Eat in 2021, and the project itself is close to all kitchen and restaurant staff.
Relais & Chateaux itself looks with curiosity at Martin's achievements and practices in our restaurant. We, in turn, draw inspiration from the chain's other hotels, with which we share common denominators such as an original concept of place, the highest standards, excellent service, a desire to share their uniqueness: historical heritage, a bond with the local environment and nature, original architecture and, precisely, regional cuisine. It is at the meeting point of all these qualities that "places with a soul" are created, offering a rare experience and something more than a stay, which is what we want to aspire to.