After many years of successive disappointments, France won its eighth Bocuse d’Or on Monday September 28th. The previous victory was in 2013. “He’s really coming home”, exulted the French chef, Lyon moreover, Davy Tissot, brandishing the Bocuse d’Or, a sort of world cup of gastronomy, marked this year by the health context.
At the head of the French team, Davy Tissot holds a Michelin star at Saisons, the application restaurant of the Paul-Bocuse Institute, located in Ecully, in the Lyon metropolitan area. “It’s been almost ten years since he came home. Where I’m most proud is that as a Lyonnais, that’s huge (…) tomorrow I will be proud to take her home, to Collonges, to the inn ” by Paul Bocuse, where a plaque bearing his name will be affixed alongside those of the previous winners, Mr Tissot told reporters.
“I believe that we have been able to show good work, we did not want to copy, we did not act like, we made made in France and today it pays off”, estimated the president of the French team, the two-starred chef Serge Vieira, at the end of this competition held over two days with 24 participants within the framework of the International Exhibition of Catering, Hotel and Hospitality. food (Sirha), the major global meeting place for catering professionals.
Highlight of this final: the arrival of Emmanuel Macron, who stayed for about ten minutes on Monday during the tastings, after announcing some measures in favor of restaurateurs. “French gastronomy is coming back to the top! “, wrote Mr. Macron on his Twitter account after the victory.
French gastronomy at the top! 8 years after our last victory, Chef Davy Tissot and the French team… https://t.co/aBGiMxnuDO
In the stands, after a calm morning, the French, Italian and Swedish supporters gave their voice shortly before the awards ceremony, gradually reviving the effervescence of previous editions. Food blogger Mercotte, wearing a blue-white-red scarf around her neck, encouraged a “Very good candidate, who is Meilleur Ouvrier de France, therefore used to competitions”.
According to Lyon chef Christian Têtedoie, member of the organizing committee, the new take away proposed for this first edition of the competition since the health crisis, aroused “A lot of concern on the part of the candidates”, for some people “Jostled”. “It’s a luxury take away”, specifies the chief, emphasizing “The incredible imagination” candidates.
“The level rises with each edition”
In addition to the traditional plate around the beef chuck, this new event, where were to be offered in a “Box” a starter, a main course and a dessert on the theme of the cherry tomato, recalls the rise of take-out catering in France since the health constraints linked to Covid-19. As a main course, the winning chef notably proposed a tomato completely stuffed with shrimp, accompanied by a juice of tomato shrimp heads, a virgin in basil oil and mushrooms from France and selected herbs.
For dessert, he split a candy tomato “Purple plum” with a fermented and fruity tomato, a coulis of it, oil from the leaves and variegated flowers and purple oxalis. “The level rises with each edition”, welcomed the president of the competition, Jérôme Bocuse, the son of the legendary “Monsieur Paul”, who died in 2018. “Even on a simple product like the cherry tomato, there are some extraordinary things”, he added, praising the ” creativity “ competitors.
The health crisis has led to a + 47% growth in take-out between 2019 and 2021. Eighty-five percent of professionals who have adopted it plan to continue, according to figures provided by Sirha.
The previous edition, in 2019, was won by the Danish Kenneth Toft-Hansen.
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