Bocuse d’or Americas
- Presentation
- Program
- Tests
- Candidates
- Jury
- Partners
- Access
NEW ORLEANS, THE EXCELLENT GASTRONOMIC SCENE
Marked by its French and Spanish influences, New Orleans has a rich and varied culinary heritage that brilliantly reflects the diversity of its history and culture. Some of the most emblematic dishes to try are gumbo – a traditional soup inherited from Creole cuisine – and crawfish étouffée, a typical stew served with rice.
As proof of the city’s rich gastronomic heritage, many local restaurants and chefs are honored each year by the James Beard Foundation, one of the most prestigious gastronomic awards in the USA. This year, New Orleans was also named Best Food Destination in the US by Tripadvisor as part of the 2023 Travelers’ Choice Awards, making this city an obvious choice to host these two culinary competitions.
On 11th, 12th and 13th June 2024, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will host the two continental selections of the most prestigious international culinary and pastry competitions, showcasing the best pastry chefs and cooks from all over the American continent.
"The Bocuse d’Or has a strong and close link with the United States, said Jérôme Bocuse, President of the competition. My father proudly said that he had American blood in his veins, received during a blood transfusion in an American hospital during the Second World War. One of the reasons why the two flags – the France one and the American Stars and Stripes - are flying today at the iconic restaurant of the Maison Bocuse. It was obvious that the continental selection of the Bocuse d'Or settles down in the United States to welcome and represent the entire gastronomy of the continent", completes Jérôme Bocuse, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City and pursued his MBA in Hospitality Management at the University of Florida, Miami before leading family affairs in Orlando, where he currently resides.
The Bocuse d'Or Americas will be open to the public as of 9.00 a.m. Throughout the morning, you will have the opportunity to discover in detail the work of the chefs in the kitchen. The tastings will begin at 2.25 p.m for the team that will open the event.
The official photos will be taken at 4.30 p.m, and the awards ceremony will take place at 5.30 p.m on Thursday, June 13th, 2024.
If you cannot be present on-site, feel free to follow the entire competition via streaming.
The twelve teams will have five and a half hours to complete the Bocuse d’Or’s two iconic tests: the theme on a plate and the platter theme.
The latter will highlight, as for each continental selection, the host region’s local and emblematic products.
For the platter, the candidates will have to prepare wild boar rack, alligator sausage and grits, served as a dish to share.
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The wild boar rack, a strongly flavored red meat, will have to be presented in two equal pieces on the platter, accompanied by two plant-based accompaniments, one must include an ingredient from the candidate’s country of origin, a strong marker of the latter’s culinary heritage.
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As a side dish, they will have to propose a reinterpretation of the Cajun and Creole gastronomic culture based on grits (grain).
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Lastly, alligator sausage! Alligator meat, which tastes a lot like chicken, is a strong marker of the gastronomic culture of southeastern USA. Louisiana is one of the largest suppliers of alligators, whether it’s for their hide – used for leather goods – or their meat, which Louisianans eat in several forms (fillets, nuggets, hamburgers, etc.).
Discover the 10 participating candidates for the Bocuse d’Or Americas 2024
CANDIDATE : Abrahan Salas
COMMIS : Christian Andre Arce Penaloza
COACH : John Placko
Chef Abrahan Salas, is a gastronomy enthusiast, the same one who sees the way to create and innovate new techniques to please his diners, current Candidate for the Bolivia team, the same one who has a great career advising restaurants and kitchens, currently Head of the International Culinary Art Institute and Chef of the Spices restaurant, in addition to being recognized in his country as Presenter and jury of TV programs.
CANDIDATE : Keith Pears
COMMIS : Joseph Mongillo
COACH : John Placko
Keith Pears is the Corporate Executive Chef at Accencis Group and leader of the National team representing Canada at the next Bocuse d’Or Finals. Hailing from Vancouver and born into a family of chefs, Keith was destined to become immersed in the culinary field from a young age. After enrolling in culinary school at the age of 19, Keith quickly developed his skills in the kitchen and worked his way up the ranks throughout the years to master his craft. In 2017, he moved to Toronto to take on the title of Executive Chef at Delta’s flagship hotel, Delta Toronto. There, Keith played an instrumental role in shaping the hotel’s culinary excellence through his limitless creativity before opening Toronto’s first W Hotel in the prestigious Yorkville neighborhood, and recently being appointed Corporate Executive Chef at Accencis Group. Keith is no stranger to competition, and he has the resume to prove it. He’s competed in renowned culinary events like Best of the West, Gold Metal Plates, Bocuse d’Or National Selection, Garland International Shellfish Chef Challenge, and more. His most notable achievements include winning B.C. Chef of the Year, Food Network’s Chopped Canada, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party in Toronto and most recently, the National selection for the Bocuse d'Or competition. With more than 15 years of industry experience, Keith delivers memorable culinary experiences paired with a high level of cuisine. When he is not lined up at the farmers market for fresh ingredients, you can find Keith hunting for the freshest sneaker drop to add to his collection. He enjoys listening to all things Drake and supporting his favorite basketball team, the Toronto Raptors. He finds joy in exploring and often eats his way through Toronto’s new hot spots and local dives for inspiration. Once a part-time pop star turned chef, Keith’s goal in the kitchen is to be better than yesterday, hence his personal motto, “Strive for Perfection.”
COMMIS : Paula Alejandra Castillo Jiménez
COACH : Adrian Gerboles
CANDIDATE : Daniel Guzman
COMMIS : Quevedo Gomez
COACH : Jorge Luis Lazo Gonzale
Daniel Eduardo Guzman Lopez is a Guatemalan Chef, who started cooking at a young age because his single mother had to work. He was in charge of his 2 brothers, Santiago y Diego Guillermo Guzman Lopez. He started working in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2010 while studying in Mausi Sebess, Profesional en artes culinarias. He then came back to Guatemala in 2012 and worked in different Guatemalan Restaurants. He now owns his Vietnamese restaurant
CANDIDATE : Marcelo Hisaki
COMMIS : Cecilia Esther Palma Juanmiguel
COACH : Diego Vargas
Born in Mexico City to Japanese parents, Chef Marcelo Hisaki grew up surrounded by a diversity of flavor, texture, color, and tradition that combined both Japanese and Mexican culinary heritage. At an early age, his talent and discipline led him to earn a scholarship from Fondation Turquois Monaco to study French cuisine at the Lycée Hotelier de Monte Carlo and train in Michelin-starred restaurants Yoshi and Joël Robuchon, in Monte Carlo, Monaco. In 2013, Chef Marcelo and his wife Chef Reyna Venegas opened Restaurante Amores in Tecate, Baja California. Their culinary concept is influenced by Mexican, Japanese and French cultures, using local produce with respect, love, and creativity. He recently represented Mexico in the Bocuse d’Or Finale 2023, receiving the social commitment award as a recognition to his team’s involvement in support of migrants’ food insecurity in Baja California. He currently works as a mentor and teacher for new generations of culinary professionals at Culinary Art School and collaborates in the development of BRECHA, the first Mexican culinary innovation and research center.
CANDIDATE : Nahuel Lokais
COMMIS : Sofia Cabrera
COACH : Jorge Rivaga
CANDIDATE : Stefani De Palma
COMMIS : Bradley Waddle
COACH : Sebastian Gibrand
Originally from Arcadia, California, Stefani De Palma moved to San Diego in 2007 to join the team at Addison Restaurant, directly out of culinary school. Over the years, De Palma worked her way up through the restaurant’s kitchen, ascending the ranks from Chef de Partie, Chef Tournant, Pastry Sous Chef to Sous Chef. In 2016, she assumed the Chef de Cuisine role, where she worked closely with Chef William Bradley to continue Addison's tradition of excellence, eventually helping the restaurant earn its third Michelin star in 2022.
Now, having won First Place at the Bocuse d’Or Team USA 2025 National Selection, Chef De Palma will begin training for the Bocuse d’Or Americas Selections in New Orleans this coming June 2024.
CANDIDATE : Yiya Ramos Blonval
COACH : Carlos Duran Herrera
Born in Valencia, Venezuela, Yiya is now 26. She finished her studies she was just 19, and she hasn't stopped cooking since. At first, she took up pastry as a hobby, as she was studying law in college back then. But, as she learned more about pastry and cooking, she realized it wouldn't just be a hobby, she wanted to train professionally and make a career out of it. Therefore, she abandoned her law career and carried on with cooking for two more years, until she was done with her studies. Yiya is currently working as a private and corporate chef, for a large ad significant company in Venezuela. She has been working in the same company for 5 years and considers them part of her family. She states that "cooking is her passion, what she loves doing, and she couldn't be happier with her career choices". It will be Yiya's first time representing Venezuela in the Bocuse d'Or.
DISCOVER THE JURY FOR THIS AMERICAS 2024 SELECTION!
The Cuisine Jury members
The Cuisine Jury is composed of 5 international chefs. Throughout the challenges, they will observe the candidates and evaluate their professionalism, ability to handle pressure, sustainable approach, waste management and technique.
Through their experienced eyes as professionals, they are primarily present to support and advise the chefs at every stage of the competition. Their presence by their side encourages them to gain confidence, better apprehend their participation, and thus live the best possible experience.
More information soon...
The Tasting Jury members
The Tasting Jury is composed of 10 members representing each of the competing countries. Selected for their professionalism and open-mindedness, they are privileged and demanding witnesses of the candidates' technique in the Bocuse d'Or.
Their mission is all the more demanding as it requires unwavering focus and objectivity during the tasting of each culinary creation. They seek to reward achievements that embody the perfect balance between purity of taste, respect for the product, attention to detail, and of course, technical mastery.
Ricardo CORTEZ
Alex CHEN
More information soon...
Jorge Jorge LAMPORT
More information soon...
Mariana TUCUNA
Devin KNELL
Elia Nora RODRIGUEZ
Main partners
BE WTR, the Swiss water brand, redefines premium hydration, promoting ecological water consumption with state-of-the-art AQTiV systems. Offering chilled, still and sparkling, activated filtered water, the AQTiV system recently received the Red Dot “Best Product Design” award. Embraced by renown chefs globally, BE WTR tackles single-use bottles and supports sustainability through the “1% for the Planet” platform, contributing to 9 UN SDGs while pursuing B-Corp certification.
All-Clad, an American company founded in 1971 in Canonsburg, that has built on its heritage of craftsmanship and quickly established its reputation in the world of professional gastronomy. For over 50 years, All-Clad has been constantly innovating to design and manufacture premium cookware that meets the demands of the world's greatest professional chefs. The brand joined Groupe SEB in 2004.
Platinum partners
Bonna Premium Porcelain, having 40 years of experience in production, launched with a vision, which is to become a solution partner to HoReCa professionals. Over the years, Bonna having the advantage of being based in Turkey, distributed its wide range of products to more than 100 countries on all five continents to serve extensive variety of sector professionals from chain restaurants, hotels to Michelin-starred chefs. Bonna continuously offers design and functionality driven products, which have received more than 35 international awards so far, with a commitment to contribute to a sustainable future and generates inspiring user experiences every day.
By combining tradition and innovation, Bragard marks the times by designing in the Vosges (in France) bold, creative, generous and environmentally friendly collections. Bragard meets your requirements and desires of today and tomorrow by offering comfortable products adapted to your jobs so that every day you can write your story in Bragard!
For more than 30 years, French frozen bakery manufacturer Bridor has been combining the power of large-scale manufacturing with the virtuosity of bakery expertise to offer to Chefs high-quality breads and Viennese pastries inspired by bakery cultures worldwide.
Since 1945, Elle & Vire Professionnel® has contributed
to the promotion of French excellence and gastronomy
all over the world.
Thanks to its unique and unrivalled dairy know-how, it creates
new products in its native Normandy, dairy products
that it now export to over 120 countries, which are used by
the finest chefs.
Its secrets? Exceptional French terroir, where the cows are
often in the meadow, producing the highest quality milk,
which in turn makes for the best cream. Elle & Vire Professionnel®
aims to provide top-notch support to
professionals in order to offer products to best suit their
needs.
Thanks to close collaboration with world-renowned chefs
over the course of many years, Elle & Vire Professionnel®
has developed a range of fine creams, butters, cheeses and desserts
that have been recognized for their consistency and performance.
As the official champagne of the competition, Pommery is at the very heart of each stage of the competition from the selection to the final celebrations. Our commitment to this event highlights our long-term connection to the world of haute cuisine and of the values we share.
Our history is that of the Rougié family, in 1875. A producer of exceptional ducks and foies gras, Rougié is renowned today for its innovation and cutting-edge technology. Rougié, an emblem of French gastronomy, is proud to delight the most discerning palates with the quality of its products
Premium partners
In 2000, the Bocuse d'Or Winners association was created thanks to the support of the Rougié, which wished to help strengthen the links between all the winners of the competition since its creation in 1987. To date, it brings together 45 chefs from 13 different nationalities. Its honorary president is Jérôme Bocuse and its current president is Philip Tessier, Bocuse d'Argent 2015.
This strong group allows them to stay close to the competition and continue to write its history.
Many of these chefs even become heavily involved in their country by leading the national team and supporting new candidates; or in the competition committee. They also created the Best Commis Award.
Capfruit was founded back in 1999 in the Drôme region and aims at offering a wide range of fruit based ingredients for culinary and pastry professionals. Building on its know-how, Capfruit supports pastry chefs, cooks, caterers, but also ice cream makers, confectioners and chocolatiers by providing them with natural, authentic and sometimes original flavors to make their recipes. Each year, more than 6,000 tonnes of fruit purees, coulis or even zests are delivered to them in about 60 countries around the world thanks to a network of specialized distributors.
Capfruit, partner committed from the land to the plate.
Green Care Professional's eco-certified cleaning solutions have been supporting chefs for 35 years. Based on circular economy principles, they are adapted to each of their needs and priorities: optimal hygiene, healthy catering, staff safety, waste reduction, lower environmental impact...
VALRHONA, TOGETHER LET'S DO GOOD WITH GOODNESS
Partnering with taste artisans since 1922, a pioneer and reference in the world of chocolate, at Valrhona our mission, "Together, let's do good with goodness," expresses the strength of our commitment. With cocoa producers, artisans, and all gastronomy enthusiasts, we imagine the best of chocolate every day to create a fair and sustainable cocoa industry and inspire a gastronomy of goodness, beauty, and well-being.
Building direct and long-term relationships with producers, seeking the next chocolate innovation, and sharing expertise are the battles that drive us daily.
Alongside chefs, Valrhona supports craftsmanship, constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity to accompany them in their quest for uniqueness.
Thanks to our commitments, we are proud to have obtained the highly demanding B Corporation® certification for the second time in December 2023. It rewards the most committed companies in the world that place economic, social, and environmental performance on an equal footing.
Choosing Valrhona means committing to responsible chocolate, with 100% of cocoa beans traced back to our 16,979 producers. Choosing Valrhona means committing to chocolate that respects people and the planet. Together, let's do good with goodness.
Winterhalter is the leading designer and manufacturer of sustainable, commercial warewashing systems for the catering and hospitality industry. Our range of undercounter glass and dishwashers, passthrough, utensil, single and multitank diswashers are the best available on the market.
DATES & TIME
June 12th and 13th, 2024
Open to the public from 9.00 a.m to 6.00 p.m
PLACE
Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center
900 Convention Center Blvd,
New Orleans, LA 70130,
États-Unis
DO YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE ?
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