If you don’t already know of him then Serge Magner, the newest star of Lyon’s great caterers, comes highly recommended for his knowledge and his skills, and is renowned for his creativity and position within the medium to top end of the gala event market.

Serge Magner and his wife Sandrine, who is in charge of the commercial side of the business, began their adventure in 1995. Following spells with Gagnaire and Bocuse, he was working as deputy to Christian Lherm, the chef at the Hôtel Pullman Part-Dieu in Lyon who had just gained one Michelin star, when he decided to fly the nest and open a shop in the Croix-Rousse district selling cooked dishes with a view to getting into the event market.

Until 2000 we stayed where we were in the Croix-Rousse, having also opened a another place in the Halles de Lyon, remembers Sandrine Magner. However, at the same time I was visiting local companies and looking at the possibility of setting up an events sector which is what we did in 2000, opening a 800 m² production laboratory in Irigny which specialises in making cooked dishes and pastries. Initially we employed seven people, but we quickly grew and in 2003-2004 we increased our factory space to 2 000 m² and employed 20 people. Today we have 58 salaried employees on the books and we’re looking to grow again!

Right from the start Serge Magner has targeted the business event market, including symposia, seminars, conferences, gala dinners and incentives. His company’s turnover has risen from just 800,000 euros in 2000 to 5.5 million euros, and he is now considered number two in the regional events catering sector and, according to the Néo Restauration magazine, at number 20 nationally. Not bad when you consider that the company, which has also opened a commercial branch in Grenoble, has just celebrated its 10^th birthday…

Even on the slowest days we produce several
hundred meals every day, explains Sandrine Magner. But that figure can get up to five or six thousand meals, which obviously requires massive logistical organisation especially as clients tend to place their orders later and later all the time. We cover the whole of the Rhône-Alpes region as well as the Auvergne and the northern part of the PACA region. In 2005, we had 20,000 clients, and 30% of our turnover came from Paris-based marketing agencies .

Serge Magner puts his personal stamp on every event with a tailor-made approach, so it is quite difficult to give an exact idea of costings. However, Sandrine Magner suggests a ballpark figure of 28€ per person
for a working lunch and between 100 and 110 € for a fine gala dinner (excluding equipment hire). But I can’t really give you set figures because it all depends on what type of option is chosen…

What is clear however is that Serge Magner, with his creative ideas, is making waves within the rather traditional catering sector. His clients include Eurexpo, the Cité Internationale, the Château de Pizay, the Institut Lumière, the Région Rhône-Alpes, Rhône-Alpes Tourisme, Grand Lyon, Renault Trucks, EDF, the Lyonnaise de Banque, the Macif, the Assedic, Les Nuits de Fourvière, the Bastille cable car, Alpexpo, Minatec, the CEA, Europôle and the CCI in Grenoble. Serge Magner can also boast that Dominique de Villepin enjoyed his catering during a recent visit to Oullins, as well as numerous celebrities who come to Lyon for film premières.