Following a selection process that got underway more than a year ago and concluded with the naming of
the French candidate on 6 May, the full list of 20 contenders who will go through to the Bocuse d’Or
Europe has finally been revealed.
The only route to the world final, the Bocuse d’Or Europe will take place at the Horeca Life exhibition in
Brussels on 20 and 21 March, in the framework of the Brusselicious year‐long food festival.
Will the Scandinavian nations repeat the feat they pulled off at the last world final and walk off with the
top three prizes? How will Belgium fare on home ground? Will first‐time participant Bulgaria qualify for
the world final? These and other questions will be answered during the European selection round.
For health reasons, Peter Goossens won’t be able to be President of the competition. Thus his Vicepresident,
Yves Mattagne, Chef at Sea Grill**, will be President while Geert Van Hecke, Chef at De
Karmeliet, will become a jury member for Belgium.
The participating candidates
It took more than a year to complete all the national selection events in Europe. Following a period of preparation
worthy of an Olympic athlete, the candidates will arrive at the Bocuse d’Or Europe with a single goal in mind:
qualifying for the world final, which will take place at Sirha in Lyon on 29 and 30 January 2013.
Island Sigurdur Haraldsson Vox Restaurant
Belgium Robrecht Wissels Belgocatering
Hongary Tamas Szelli Ony Etterem
France Thibaut Ruggeri Lenôtre
Spain Evarist Miralles El Bolli
Luxemburg Jan Schneidewind Le Windsor
Estonia Heidy Pinnak Restoran Egoit
Sweden Adam Dahlberg Stefan Eriksson Matsudio
United-Kingdom Adam Bennet Simpsons Restaurant
Netherlands Martin Ruissaard De Fuik
Poland Marcin Jablonski Bukiet Smakow
Norway Orjan Johannssen Bekkjarvik Gjestgiveri
Bulgaria Petar Nikolov Restaurant Sasa
Denmark Jeppe Foldager Sollerodkro
Italy Alfio Ghezzi Locanda Margon
Czech-Republic Landra Ondrej Kampa Park
Russia Alexey Korzyritsliy Restaurant Luch
Germany Olivier Röder Landlust
Finland Mika Palonen Villa Storsvik
Switzerland Teo Chiaravalloti Villa Principe Leopoldo
A prestigious jury
For its third edition, the Bocuse d’Or Europe will be presided over by Yves Matttagne. Pierre Wynants will be Honorary
President. Alex Atala, the famous Brazilian chef at the D.O.M. in Sao Paulo and today considered to be one of the most
creative chefs will preside over the International Jury. The Bocuse d’Or Europe will serve as a kind of reunion with the
nation that saw him take his first steps in cooking. For he was just 18 years old when, on his arrival in Europe, he
enrolled in a hotel and catering school of management in Belgium, before honing his skills alongside the Brussels chef
Jean‐Pierre Bruneau.
An outstanding show
The Bocuse d’Or Europe is infinitely more than a battle between chefs: it is a human adventure drawing together the
crème de la crème of European talent, stretching technical and creativity to their limits.
The contestants will both defend their culinary heritage and reveal the very latest trends emerging in their home
countries before a live audience of 1500 jubilant supporters.
Horeca Life, the international culinary event at Brussels Expo
Thanks to annual growth of 20%, Horeca Life has become, in just seven editions, the
reference trade show for the restaurant, catering and hotel industries in the Euregio region.
For 2012, Horeca Life is expanding its programme to include all sectors relating to hotels,
restaurants, brasseries, pastry making and food in general, thus becoming the main professional food event on the
Brusselicious 2012 programme.
Brusselicious 2012 celebrates gastronomy
The Bocuse d’Or will surely be the highlight of this gastronomic year in Brussels. Having celebrated local
products, chefs and culinary art in all its shapes and forms, the Brussels Capital region will conclude its
ode to gastronomy with the most prestigious European competition: the Bocuse d’Or
Europe. Get ready for a memorable event!
www.bocusedoreurope.com
www.brusselicious.be
www.horecalife.be