Toronto, September 4, 2018 — Say “au revoir” Paris and “bonjour” to Lyon, France’s second largest city and home of the bi-annual Bocuse d’Or competition. Foodie travelers from around the globe will be there this January to cheer 24 of the best chefs on the planet who made it through the prequalifiers earlier in the Spring. Just in time for the holidays, Team Canada designed two ultimate foodie trips for the gourmet on your holiday gift-giving list. Either tag along for a five-day tour of Lyon’s must-see hot spots alongside noteworthy Canadian chefs, food industry pros and influencers OR opt for a two-day competition package and visit some of the city’s most popular Michelin-star restaurants on your own. Either way, you’ll get to support the team at the most prestigious and difficult global culinary competition where they hope to make history by getting on the podium for the first time.
“The support of our fans made a big difference in Mexico,” explains Trevor Ritchie, the front runner for Team Canada. “No Canadian chef has ever brought home the gold and we only made the top five twice since 1987. The team and I want to change that in January. We hope to have a delegation of at least 100 supporters, so we can demonstrate the best Canada has to offer in and out of the kitchen.”
The gift of travel
Whether you opt for the five-day trip or only the two-day competition package, Lyon has the sophistication, scenery, history, nightlife, wine and yes, even the cuisine to outshine the French capital. Famous for the art of fine living, Lyon is the gateway to the Beaujolais viticultural region and the temple of gastronomy with many Michelin-rated restaurants and chefs.
While the all-in trip includes visits at the Côte Rôtie and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wineries and dinner at a Bouchon Lyonnais for an authentic dinner in the Old city, foodies can alternatively design their own trip and include stops at restaurants like L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges — a legendary temple of Gallic gastronomy; The three Michelin-star kitchen was, until recently, overseen by French master-chef Paul Bocuse who made daily his signature truffle soup; — OR at La Mère Brazier, a two Michelin star eatery under the gaze of Mathieu Viannay that was established in 1921 and has had the coveted stars since 1933. In addition to all the historical sites, a stop at les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is a must since the covered market is where famous chefs stock up.
Holiday gifts to support Team Canada
In addition to the trips to Lyon, fans of the competition can further support theTeam and help them make their way to Lyon by purchasing professional chef items on the team’s website at www.bocusedorcanada.ca. Some of the featured products and services include an Ajax Red Spirit chef knife, Acadian caviar tasting pack, Sansaire immersion circulator as well as private catering dinners featuring 9 custom dishes cooked in your home by Trevor and the team. All proceeds of these sales are going directly to finance the team’s travel to the competition.
A recipe for Canada’s success on the international culinary scene
Last April, the Waterloo-born chef, Trevor Ritchie, and his team wowed the panel of Michelin-star judges with dishes that included Canadian ice cider and caviar, Ontario apples, Quebec foie gras and British Columbia clams, winning silver and a ticket to the World Cup of Cookery talents. In training with the team’s mentors composed of some of the top names in the country including Mark McEwan (The McEwan Group), Jason Bangerter (Langdon Hall), Marc Lépine (Atelier), John Higgins (George Brown College) and Jean-Pierre Challet (The Fifth), Ritchie and his commis Jenna Reich, have already nailed down their garnishes and are now experimenting with different fish and meats while waiting for the announcement that will dictate the star of their main course and plateau.
Supervised by his coach, Jenna and Trevor will have 5.5 hours to prepare one meat platter and one fish plate of 12 portions. The event which is broadcasted live online and attended by a slew of international press, provides a unique chance to showcase techniques and food mastery but also an opportunity to shine the spotlight on local flavours by incorporating them into the competition’s dishes that will be seen and tasted by the cream-of-the-crop. Wining in Lyon means building a legacy for up-and-coming chefs and giving the Canadian restaurant industry the bragging rights it deserves abroad. View the itinerary and purchase by visiting: http://www.bocusedorcanada.ca/lyon-2019.html
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To schedule an interview with Trevor Ritchie, Coach James Olberg or Manager Thomas Delannoy, to get more information or high-res photos, please contact The PR Department at 416.535.3939 or [email protected].
