Do chefs have a beef with meat? Exploration of the professional representations of chefs on meat and meatless cooking in relation to their ofer[Coup de filet sur le bœuf ? Exploration des représentations professionnelles de chefs cuisiniers sur la cuisine de la viande et la cuisine sans viande vis à vis de leur offre]

Faced with the demands of sustainability that lead to the recommendation of a significant reduction in meat consumption, chefs are invited to rethink their cooking, as meat is so deeply rooted in the French culinary tradition. The objective of this exploratory research is to study the professional representations of chefs regarding meat and meatless cooking. 29 semi-structured interviews with commercial chefs were conducted and a thematic analysis was performed on the corpus. The results indicate that chefs maintain an attraction to meat- based cuisine while being aware of the environmental impacts of meat production. Vegetable- based cuisine enjoys a special aura for chefs, associated with new culinary practices and a vector of creativity. Barriers to its development persist, such as the perception of a clientele reluctant to discover new dishes.