papa renard wins world burger championship
This such great news to share, Louis Gautier Lepers owner of Papa Renard in Morzine, earlier this year won the World Burger Championship! That’s right, right here in good ole Morzine resides the World Champion of Burgers and you can eat as many as you like of them this summer.
We had a chat with Louis to understand more about his background and what exactly these incredible burgers are famous for.
Can you tell us a little about your background? I'm originally from northern France and graduated from the hotel school in Tournai, Belgium. I started my career in a gourmet restaurant in Busnes before moving into traditional catering. I have now been specialising in burgers and food trucks for around ten years. In 2019, I opened Papa Renard in Morzine, in the Haute-Savoie region, a place that reflects who I am, where characterful cuisine meets local produce. My philosophy is to offer French-style burgers made with local ingredients, which we call “Franburgés” in homage to our local expertise.
What makes your burgers unique?
Our burgers are designed as bistronomic dishes to be eaten with your fingers. Everything is homemade, with real attention to the product, the bread, the sauces, the toppings—everything is crafted to tell a story. We favor short supply chains: cheeses from Savoie, select meats, fresh vegetables... We work with the butcher in Morzine, vegetables from Leman Primeur, and a baker from the bottom of the valley.
What are your best sellers?
Recipes such as the “Reblochon” with its fried Reblochon cheese that melts when you cut it, or even the “Fondue,” a gourmet Franburgé with Savoyard fondue poured over the burger bun, a treat for the eyes and the taste buds.
And what about the summer menu?
This summer, we'll be introducing some summer burgers, but the bestsellers will always be on the menu. We'll try to create Franburgés that change every week to diversify the offering.
You just won the title of 2024 World Burger Champion after finishing second in 2023. What does this mean to you?
It's a huge source of pride, of course, and a great recognition of all the work I've put in. Last year, I came so close...So this year, I came back even more determined, focused, and creative.
Tell us about the winning burger!
During the competition, the task was to prepare three traditional burgers with animal protein, three vegetarian burgers, and five mini sweet burgers in three hours. The traditional burger consisted of smoked raclette cheese and aromatic ingredients reminiscent of the region's forest floor. The vegetarian burger was a fusion of my native region and my adopted region, with a combination of beetroot and Abondance cheese. Finally, the sweet burger is an iconic dessert from Saint Tropez, the tarte tropézienne, made with a sponge cake base and a cream filling fusion of my native region and my adopted region, with a mixture of beetroot and Abondance cheese. Finally, the sweet burger is an iconic dessert from Saint Tropez, the tarte tropézienne remastered with citrus fruits and dill. It was with this last burger that
I won the dessert prize, and then the competition. The final result was for the three burgers, with a prize for each one, including the prize for the sweet burger and the overall prize.
For more info: Papa Renard Morzine or follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papa.renard/
Location: 382 Rue du Bourg 74 110 MORZINE - See here on google maps: Papa Renard
Photo Credit: 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙑𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙣 @rdv.photographie