La Fine Fourchette: a committed, pioneering institution in Grenoble aiming to change mindsets

 

INTERVIEW| Founded in 1936, La Fine Fourchette is a veritable Grenoble institution, both the guardian of expertise and at the cutting edge of innovation. As the first caterer in the area to be ISO20121 certified, and a member of Traiteurs de France and the Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat, La Fine Fourchette is a pioneer in the region. As part of the Tosevents group, which includes four other establishments in France, it serves as an experimental laboratory for implementing new initiatives. We spoke to Patrice Knecht, Managing Director and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Director of La Fine Fourchette, and Reda Bendjebbour, Quality Manager of the Tosevents group.

 

Reda and Patrice welcomed us for this interview in their building at Technisud, where Fine Fourchette moved in 2004. A visit to the laboratory quickly demonstrated the pioneering nature of La Fine Fourchette: an ultra-modern production laboratory that complies with European hygiene and traceability standards, one of the first in Isère to obtain this approval. This guarantees rigorous hygiene standards and impeccable production quality for events ranging from 10 to 5,000 guests. It may be a far cry from the butcher's and caterer's shop in Grenoble city centre where it all began in 1936, but the spirit has not changed, marked by a constant ability to renew and innovate.

 

"Historically, CSR has been an integral part of the company, which committed to it very early on and is considered a pioneer in the Grenoble area."

La Fine Fourchette is a member of Traiteurs de France, the largest national network of caterers and organisers of top-of-the-range receptions. Committed to a policy of continuous improvement to help the profession move forward in an eco-responsible way, Les Traiteurs de France is committed to short circuits, the circular economy and CSR awareness throughout the industry. Since 2020, 100% of its members have been ISO20121 certified, a benchmark in responsible event management that helps organisations seamlessly integrate the principles of sustainability into every aspect of the planning and running of their events.

"The CSR approach already existed within the company, and the ISO20121 standard provides a framework for this approach by putting in place monitoring, measurable objectives and indicators."

 

A forerunner in the Grenoble Alpes region, Fine Fourchette obtained ISO20121 certification in 2017. This certification recognises La Fine Fourchette's social and environmental commitment through its anchorage in the local economic fabric, its selection of local suppliers, its fight against food waste and waste sorting, while promoting learning, training and creativity.

As Patrice explains: "La Fine Fourchette has challenged itself in a number of major areas to bring about a change in practices: breaking habits in the kitchen, moving from meal trays to zero waste, bringing organic waste back to the laboratories so that it can be sorted and recycled when sorting is not possible on site, etc." As part of its drive to reduce food waste, La Fine Fourchette is also focusing on communication with its customers to ensure fairer production, and on food redistribution, which has saved up to 600 meals during some major events. As such, it was a pilot caterer for the anti-waste label introduced by the government and AFNOR (French Standardisation Association).

"Within the Tosevents group, the development of CSR was primarily driven by its commitment to the Convention of Companies for the Climate."

 

La Fine Fourchette didn’t stop at ISO certification. Its participation in the Convention of Companies for the Climate (CEC) in 2023 gave a real boost to the group’s CSR approach. Reda explains: "The CEC is an association that supports collectives of business leaders in transforming their business models in response to the environmental and social challenges of the 21st century." As part of its involvement, La Fine Fourchette developed an ambitious roadmap to reduce its ecological impact, guided by the following key question: "How can La Fine Fourchette, as a Caterer and Event Organizer, become a place of inclusion and promotion of diversity, rooted in the local ecosystem, while guiding our clients and partners towards responsible and sustainable events?" The roadmap outlines goals for 2030, along with key pillars and levers to achieve them, offering a strategic direction for the entire Tosevents group.

Patrice elaborates: "One of the major elements in the roadmap is the creation of the Tosevents Training Academy, dedicated to learning, hiring, integration, career changes, and the discovery of new professions within the group — with the aim of attracting and retaining employees." This objective also includes taking into account the demanding nature of jobs in the catering and event sectors within the HR policy, in order to develop an action plan focused on quality of life at work and the advancement of an inclusion policy aimed at welcoming and professionalizing individuals who are distant from employment and/or living with disabilities.

 

"La Fine Fourchette is a testing ground for the Tosevents group: we try things out and then see if they can be replicated across the group’s other businesses."

“In Grenoble, you can feel that the public is aware.”
 

In the Isère region, there is a strong sensitivity to eco-responsible practices. The public is more receptive and demanding of this type of initiative compared to other regions, where such approaches are being adopted more gradually. For example, clients are increasingly seeking plant-based options on their plates. Patrice explains: "It’s essential to be able to guide them, and it’s our responsibility to be proactive, by promoting sustainable practices."

 

“We want to continue being a role model to help shift mindsets and spark momentum.”
 

The group began 2025 with a successful ISO 20121 audit. Looking ahead, Patrice and Reda are committed to continuing their efforts to advance the group’s CSR strategy — by professionalizing CSR leadership, increasingly challenging team members and implementing the actions outlined in their CEC roadmap to drive meaningful change.

Patrice concludes: "I’m very proud that La Fine Fourchette, a key institution in Grenoble, is still going strong today. If we can be a force for shifting mindsets and creating positive momentum, that’s a real success. To achieve this, communication and the strength of the collective are essential."