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Master chefs Barale, Quaretti succeed Jacques Pépin at Oceania CruisesMaster chefs Barale, Quaretti succeed Jacques Pépin at Oceania Cruises

French master chefs Eric Barale and Alexis Quaretti were promoted to executive culinary directors at Oceania Cruises, succeeding the legendary Jacques Pépin.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

March 20, 2024

2 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

Pépin, a superstar in the culinary world and the founding father of Oceania's 'the finest cuisine at sea' philosophy, will remain involved with the company in his new role as executive culinary adviser. He and Oceania Cruises also will continue working together through The Jacques Pépin Foundation.

Carrying forward the legacy

'It's truly remarkable to have two master chefs of France leading our culinary team,' said Frank A. Del Rio, president of Oceania Cruises. 'Chefs Alex and Eric are the next generation of our culinary innovation and will continue the evolution of our foodie story, carrying forward Jacques' incredible legacy.'

Pépin commented: 'I am so proud to be passing the baton to these two phenomenally talented chefs who have worked alongside me for the past 20 years. It's a true pleasure to see how the line's culinary innovation flourishes year after year and I look forward to championing Chefs Alex and Eric further by being here for any advice or guidance needed.' Pépin added he looks forward to dedicating more time to his charitable undertakings through his foundation.

Maîtres Cuisiniers de France

Both Barale and Quaretti have been inducted into the prestigious Maîtres Cuisiniers de France (Master Chefs of France). And both are long-standing members of the culinary team. Barale was one of the first to join the line and Quaretti came shortly after, in 2004.

More than 40 restaurants fleetwide

'With Allura launching in 2025, we will have eight ships in the fleet and more than 40 restaurants constantly circulating the globe, and having these two talented executive culinary directors at the helm means we can maintain our laser focus on serving the finest cuisine at sea,' Del Rio added.

Barale and Quaretti will be joining the world-renowned chefs attending the Jacques Pépin Foundation Gala in New York City on April 4. 

Read more about:

Oceania Cruises

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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