In 1987, 25 years ago, the world-renowned chef Paul Bocuse established the Bocuse d’Or. Every two years the best individual chefs in the world test their culinary skills at this international competition in Lyon. The next final will be held at the end of January 2013. In order to participate the chefs have to first qualify in the national and international rounds.
The Villeroy & Boch Hotel & Restaurant Division has for many years had close connections to the world-famous culinary competition. A passion for continually surpassing even the highest of expectations and a striving for perfection are shared by the French star chef and the traditional European organisation. This cooperation is true to the motto “Quality meets Quality” with the two premium brands perfectly complementing one another.
Paul Bocuse is a friend of the house and has joined with Villeroy & Boch to develop décors, while Villeroy & Boch is a “membre associé du Bocuse d’Or”. In Luxemburg the organisation is a founding member of the Bocuse d’Or Luxembourg asbl. Here along with the Luxembourgian associations HORESCA, Vatel-Club Luxemburg, Amicale des Anciens Elèves du LTHAHD, Euro-Toques Luxembourg and the Diekirch College of Hotel Management, Villeroy & Boch has since 1999 selected and prepared candidates for the Bocuse d’Or.
For many years Villeroy & Boch has produced the well-loved Bocuse d’Or special event plates. In 2011 these were the stunning gourmet plates of the Modern Grace collection made of premium bone porcelain and provided with an exclusive décor designed by the artist and designer Alain Vavro.
Generous presentation plate with special décors
The Bocuse d’Or Europe, the European heat of the competition, is to be held during the specialist exhibition “Salon Horecalife” on 20th and 21st March in Brussels. Here the 20 best chefs in Europe will arrange their meals on the presentation plate of the successful NewWave series.
With a display surface of 27cm, the NewWave Gourmet Plate offers the chefs an extremely large space for their creations. And a particularly innovative feature is the rim that soars towards the back, thus providing the culinary creations with a particularly eye-catching setting.
The official Bocuse d’Or plate is adorned with a textured décor especially designed for the competition and the lettering “Bocuse d’Or”, and is only available as a limited edition. For the first time all the chefs must present their creations on this one plate.
Used in the national and international heats
Chefs wishing to take part in the Bocuse d’Or Europe first have to qualify in a national heat. At the beginning of October 2011 the preliminary round of the Luxembourgian Bocuse d’Or was held at the College of Hotel Management in Diekirchen. Jan Schneidewind from Restaurant Windsor/Bartringen was chosen to represent Luxembourg in the European final in Brussels. For the Luxembourgian competition the NewWave Gourmet Plate was provided with a special coloured décor and the logo “Bocuse d’Or Luxembourg 2012”.
At the national heats in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France the official Bocuse d’Or plate has been or will be used, in some cases with a décor specially developed for the individual competitions.
The German candidate for Brussels was selected in February at the Intergastra exhibition in Stuttgart. Johannes Goll from Restaurant Français in the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof is the chosen chef.
In the USA the preliminary decision has also already been made. Here the national round for the Bocuse d’Or was held on 29th January 2012 in the “Culinary Institute of America” in Hyde Park, New York, where the chefs similarly presented their creations on the NewWave Gourmet Plate from Villeroy & Boch. Richard Rosendale, head chef at the “Greenbrier” in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, won the competition and will represent the USA in Lyon in 2013.
All participants in the Bocuse d’Or and the Commis Competition being held at the same time are to be awarded an exclusive prize plate: the NewWave Gourmet Plate appropriately decorated by the Villeroy & Boch Hotel & Restaurant Division.
From 12th to 16th June 2012 the best chefs in Asia compete in Shanghai to win a place at the grand final in Lyon.
New talents and trends
The spotlight at the Bocuse d’Or is on creative high-class gastronomy that demands the highest quality raw materials, preparation and presentation. Declared goals of the competition include the promotion of young chefs and the spotting of new talent.
The participants in the Bocuse d’Or are the stars of tomorrow and the competition is a stage from which they can address a worldwide public. And this is what motivates Villeroy & Boch’s involvement.
Nicolas Luc Villeroy, head of the Tableware Division at Villeroy & Boch, is convinced: “We support what must be the most famous culinary competition in the world because at the Bocuse d’Or the best of today meet the best of tomorrow and bring new trends in culinary art to the attention of the world. With our high-quality tableware we would like to contribute towards the perfect performance of their culinary excellence.”
The Bocuse d’Or gives the international organisation Villeroy & Boch a unique opportunity to observe culinary trends in their infancy, and then to develop tableware ideally suited to the creations of the top restaurants. The Villeroy & Boch designers thus enjoy attending the national and international heats, and also travel to Lyon to meet representatives of Haute Cuisine to discuss the latest trends and developments. Again and again stimuli provided by the culinary maîtres are reflected in new designs.
About Villeroy & Boch’s Hotel & Restaurant Division
Villeroy & Boch’s Hotel & Restaurant Division has been serving customers from the catering and hotel industries for over 30 years. Contact partners in more than 120 countries ensure that competent advice is always available everywhere. Delivery from Villeroy & Boch’s distribution services is direct and quick – “just in time”, even in “special” situations.