In 1987 the Bocuse d’Or was called into being by the world-renowned star chef Paul Bocuse. Since then the international competition has been held every two years, providing individual chefs from around the world with an opportunity to test their talents. Villeroy & Boch is a member of the Bocuse d’Or and acts as the competition’s tableware partner for the eleventh time in a row this year.
The international chefs present their creations on Affinity
This year Villeroy & Boch is again providing the official plates for the famous Bocuse d’Or competition. The round plates with a diameter of 31.5 cm from the Affinity collection introduced in 2013 will present the culinary art of the international participants in fitting style. Thanks to its size it gives the chefs plenty of space to present their dishes first in the national and regional preliminary rounds in 2014 and then in the Final in Lyon in 2015. The elegantly formed rim draws attention to the generous surface of the plate: a perfect stage for the compositions of culinary artists. Its clear forms and weight make it an ideal product for sophisticated gastronomy.
Exclusive Bocuse d’Or collector’s plate by Alain Vavro
As well as the current competition plates from the Affinity collection, this year once again sees an exclusive limited edition Bocuse d’Or collector’s plate, which boasts a special décor by the renowned artist and designer Alain Vavro. Ever since 1995 the French artist has been responsible for designing the décor, which is then approved by Monsieur Paul himself. “Certainly not an inconspicuous plate,” comments the star chef Paul Bocuse. This year the collector’s item is an oval Affinity platter characterised by warm colours and a vertically arranged décor, and featuring a drawing of three chefs and delicate gold writing.
National and regional rounds: On the way to the final in Lyon
In order to gain one of the coveted places in the final in Lyon (27-28 January 2015), top chefs from all over the world competed in the 18-month long preliminaries. National rounds in 60 countries culminated in the three regional competitions Bocuse d’Or Europe, Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific and Bocuse d’Or Latin America. The 24 talented chefs who have qualified for the final originate from Spain, Denmark, Japan, Canada, Argentina, Germany, France and many other countries. They will have to prove their culinary abilities by preparing a fish and a meat course. Thus, for instance, the focus of the meat theme at the final is the ‘pintade fermier’ – guinea fowl. As a member of the Bocuse d’Or, Villeroy & Boch participated in many of the national and regional competitions as well as later taking part in the final in Lyon.
New Talents and Trends
The Bocuse d’Or focuses on creative and sophisticated gastronomy that is committed to product selection, preparation and the presentation of dishes of the highest quality. The declared goals are the development of younger chefs and searching for new talent. The participants of the Bocuse d’Or are the stars of tomorrow and the competition is their platform for reaching a world audience. And this is where Villeroy & Boch’s involvement in this special competition enters into the mix.
“We support the most renowned cooking competition in the world because at Bocuse d’Or the best of today meet the best of tomorrow turning the spotlight on new methods of culinary artistry for all the world to see. With our high quality tableware we are contributing to making sure that the presentation of their culinary achievements is perfectly executed,” says Nicolas Luc Villeroy, Board Member for Tableware at Villeroy & Boch. The Bocuse d’Or also offers Villeroy & Boch the opportunity to take notice of new cooking trends early on and to develop tableware series or special products based on these trends that can provide the creations of outstanding gourmet chefs an adequate stage.
The Villeroy & Boch Hotel & Restaurant division has been closely associated with the internationally renowned cooking competition for many years – the passion to exceed the highest expectations again and again and to strive for perfection connect the French star chefs and the traditional European company. True to the motto “Quality Meets Quantity,” this is a case of the cooperation of two premium brands that perfectly compliment each other: Paul Bocuse is a friend of the company and has developed decors with Villeroy & Boch. Villeroy & Boch is also a “Membre associé du Bocuse d’Or” and has been producing the popular Bocuse d’Or event plate for many years.
About the Hotel & Restaurant Division
The Hotel & Restaurant division of Villeroy & Boch has been providing its services to customers of the restaurant and hotel industry around the world for more than 30 years. The product portfolio includes not only professional dishware series, but also glass and cutlery collections as well as a palette of accessories that are especially designed for use in hotels and restaurants – for the table with everything, the perfect buffet as well as banquets. Since it was founded in 1980 the Hotel & Restaurant division has been able to continuously expand all over the world and is now active in all of Europe, the U.S., the Near and Middle East, Australia as well as in the emerging markets of Asia and Africa.