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Why He Left Oil & Gas for Champagne | Ben Kouider
Description
Chef JKP sits down with Ben Kouider, Founder of Champavin.
Ben shares how he went from engineering and oil and gas to building a business around champagne in the UAE.
They talk about Normandy, family food memories, global travel, leaving corporate life, grower champagne, and the biggest mistakes people make when drinking champagne.
This is a story about food, reinvention, and understanding champagne beyond the label.
WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE
• Growing up in Normandy and the food traditions that shaped Ben's childhood
• Studying engineering, sales and international commerce
• Building a global career in the oil and gas industry
• Working across cultures, countries and complex international projects
• How travel and food deepened his appreciation for wine and hospitality
• Discovering the world of champagne and the growers behind it
• Leaving oil and gas to build Champavin in the UAE
• The biggest misconceptions people have about champagne today
CHAPTERS
03:31 Childhood food memories and his mother’s gratin
14:15 Science, hip hop and learning how to express himself
28:35 The pressure, politics and problem-solving of oil and gas
42:55 Building Champavin and bringing grower champagne to the UAE
56:44 The biggest champagne mistake people make
01:06:13 Champagne education, memberships and building a culture
01:18:06 How to choose champagne based on grape, style and taste
01:36:38 Quick fire round
01:41:49 Advice for people starting their champagne journey
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