THE CULINARY TRUNK: THE FRENCH ART OF TRAVEL BY DS AUTOMOBILES

• Designed by DS DESIGN STUDIO PARIS and made by La Malle Bernard, the DS Automobiles culinary trunk is symbolic of the French art of travel.
• Developed with Michelin-starred chef Julien Dumas to emphasise elegance and a sense of aesthetics, the culinary trunk promotes the exploration of local cultures, meetings and practising the French lifestyle when travelling in a limited edition of ten pieces, soon available from the DS Automobiles boutique.
• Each trunk can be personalized to match the customers' car and marked with their initials.
• The culinary trunk accompanies the first deliveries of the ESPRIT DE VOYAGE Collection, introduced with DS 4 and DS 7. It enriches the travel experience, focused on gastronomy and meeting producers and different ingredients.

An essential part of the French art of travel, gastronomy is being celebrated by DS Automobiles. As part of the DS 4 ESPRIT DE VOYAGE and DS 7 ESPRIT DE VOYAGE launch, the Parisian Brand is introducing a culinary trunk.

Focusing on an aesthetic and cultural approach to travel, DS Automobiles collaborated with La Malle Bernard to create this exclusive culinary trunk.

This new touch of refinement was developed with Michelin-starred chef Julien Dumas to emphasise elegance and a sense of aesthetics. The culinary trunk promotes the exploration of local cultures, meetings and practising the French lifestyle when travelling, for increased wonder, authenticity and quality from the travel experience.

“Our culinary trunk has been designed for sharing. The idea is to fill it with different ingredients in order to promote the local producers who make up gastronomy. It allows you to meet people at the heart of the excellence of a major part of French heritage.”
Béatrice Foucher, DS Automobiles CEO

Designed by DS DESIGN STUDIO PARIS, Julien Dumas and La Malle Bernard, the DS Automobiles culinary trunk features high quality materials with nappa leather on the outside - in a Pearl Grey colour identical to that of the ESPRIT DE VOYAGE Collection ‑ Alcantara® on the inside to cover poplar panels from wooden barrels. Embossing is applied with the ESPRIT DE VOYAGE signature.

The details also feature signatures characterised by expertise with Clous de Paris embossed inserts on the handles, nickel-plated jewellery clasps and hand-stitched leather strap handles.

DS Automobiles gastronomy ambassador, the Michelin-starred chef Julien Dumas played an active part in outlining the culinary trunk. Each trunk is designed by the craftsmen of La Malle Bernard and requires several dozen hours of work.

“Regularly, I meet producers with unparalleled expertise. From our discussions, I bring back products that I work with. Then in my kitchen at the Restaurant Bellefeuille in the Hotel Saint James Paris, I copy them in the most natural way possible while protecting the environment. This culinary trunk, fitted in my DS 7, is a great working tool.”
Julien Dumas, DS Automobiles gastronomy ambassador.

In close collaboration with Julien Dumas, the culinary trunk was designed with a wide range of containers and important accessories:

• Three test tubes
• A bottle of olive oil
• Two large pots
• Six smaller pots
• A walnut cutting board
• A paring knife made by cutlery maker Patrick Bonneta
• A honey spoon
• A corkscrew
• A notebook and a pen

"When I designed this trunk, I thought about different ingredients and trips to my producers. I used the oil bottle to fill with roasted walnut oil from the Massif Central, jars for dried and smoked trout and seaweed caviar, test tubes for Alexanders pepper, dried seaweed and fresh herbs. I used the pots to bring back tartare of seaweed, dried trout, dried scallops and apple vinegar from the Paris region and Brittany, in particular from Jean-Marie and Valérie Pédron's.”
Julien Dumas, DS Automobiles gastronomy ambassador.

The DS Automobiles Culinary Trunk is made by La Malle Bernard, the oldest box and trunk makers still operating in France and bearing the French seal of the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant. In a workshop established in Paris in 1846, Jules Bernard and Caroline Simon demonstrated their expertise after working for the Louvre’s department stores. At the beginning of the twentieth century, La Malle Bernard became known for its trunks covered with a black coating, designed to transport and present goods of all shapes. In the 1930s, La Malle Bernard specialised in making automotive trunks, with models for the roof and boot. These trunks were custom made and in canvas that was the same colour as the bodywork. Inside they were most frequently fitted with two suitcases. This configuration allowed travellers to leave the trunk securely attached to the back of the car and simply remove the two protected suitcases. A traditional family business, La Malle Bernard retains a shop in Paris and its workshops are located in Normandy.

The ultra-limited edition of the DS Automobiles culinary trunk will soon be available on the DS Automobiles lifestyle boutique for passionate epicureans, at a price of 4,000 euros. Each trunk can be personalized to match the customers' car and marked with their initials.