The Canadian team reaches 11th place at the Bocuse d'Or
Samuel Sirois (chef), Gilles Herzog (coach) and Léandre Legault-Vigneau (clerk) form the Canadian team for the Bocuse d’Or .
Canada, whose team is made up entirely of Montrealers from the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), came in 11th place in the Grand Final of the Bocuse d'Or, a prestigious culinary competition international.
Samuel Sirois and Gilles Herzog, both cooking professors at the ITHQ, as well as Léandre Legault-Vigneau, clerk and recent graduate of the same institute, represented Canada in this gastronomic confrontation worthy of the Olympics against the best chefs of the 23 other countries in competition. The event was held in Lyon, France on January 22 and 23.
As in every edition, the competition was extremely demanding. The chefs had to cook for five and a half hours to prepare two services of 15 plates. First, the first service was to highlight the importance of nutrition for the health of children. The Canadian team has therefore developed a balanced menu around squash. The second service then consisted of a platter of monkfish (fish with delicate flesh, difficult to cook to perfection) accompanied by three garnishes.
< strong>Proud Representatives
The 2023 podium turned out to be all-European: Denmark won gold, Norway, silver, and Hungary , the bronze. Even if Canada did not reach it, Liza Frulla, General Manager of the ITHQ, said she was very proud of the team: “Making it to the final of the biggest international culinary competition is already an incredible victory! […] This success has allowed Canadian gastronomy to shine on the world stage!”, she rejoiced in a press release. It's also an improvement from Canada's last appearance, which placed 13th in 2019.
