TORONTO – A team that includes several recent George Brown College graduates and staff will represent Canada as they compete at one of the world’s most prestigious culinary competitions, Bocuse d’Or, set to take place January 29-30, 2019, in Lyon, France. A fund-raising initiative has been launched to help support Team Canada in their quest for gold at the 2019 Bocuse d’Or finals.
In what could be described as the Olympics of the culinary world, Bocuse d’Or takes place every two years and showcases the best young chefs from around the world. In April 2018, Team Canada qualified for the upcoming Bocuse d’Or 2019 finals in Lyon by placing second place behind the United States at the continental qualifying competition in Mexico.
At the final competition, Team Canada will be amongst 24 participating countries and will consist of four team members: Lead Chef and George Brown alumni Trevor Ritchie; Chef John Higgins, Director of George Brown College’s Chef School, who will serve as Bocuse d’Or President and jury member and Chef Commis and George Brown graduate Jenna Reich. George Brown graduates Nick Lin, Kevin Buck and Angeline Brascoupé will serve as kitchen assistants. Team Canada’s coach is Chef James Olberg.
“As a long-time leader in culinary education, George Brown’s Chef School is proud to support Team Canada and our alumni as they prepare to compete in the world’s toughest and most esteemed chef competition,” said Lorraine Trotter, Dean, Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, George Brown College. “The team is comprised of highly trained professionals with enormous creativity and skills that will be on full display during the competition. We can’t wait to see what they create.”
During the intense and fiercely competitive two-day Bocuse d’Or final (January 29-30), each Chef will have five and a half hours to prepare one meat platter and 12 fish plates. Both categories must be presented with a choice of three different garnishes and must contain a total of 12 servings. On the day of the event each Chef is assigned a fully equipped 18m2 kitchen cubicle that opens onto a space reserved for jury members, media, and a gallery packed with cheering supporters. Each competing country has one representative on the jury.
Through the auspices of the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC), Canada has competed in every Bocuse d’Or competition since its inception in 1987, sending a generation’s worth of our most gifted chefs to showcase their skill and feature Canadian food products on the most prestigious professional culinary international stage.
About George Brown College
Toronto's George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice. The college offers programs from its three campuses located across the downtown core. George Brown offers 167 full-time programs and 191 continuing education certificates/designations across a wide variety of professions to a student body of over 30,000 (full-time enrolment) students, including 23 per cent international students; and over 68,000 continuing education registrants. Students can earn certificates, diplomas, graduate certificates, apprenticeships and degrees. www.georgebrown.ca
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For more information, please contact:
Christine Liber (for George Brown College)
416-558-4722
christine@libertyink.ca
Rima Kar
External Communications Specialist
George Brown College
(416) 415-5000 ext. 4791
rima.kar@georgebrown.ca
