Paul Bocuse (born on 11 February, 1926 in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or near Lyon) is a French chef, considered one of the finest cooks of the 20th century.

Bocuse is one of the most prominent chefs associated with the Nouvelle Cuisine (the term was first used in a newspaper article in 1972), which is less opulent and high-calorie than the traditional haute cuisine, and stresses the importance of fresh ingredients of the highest quality.

He operates the luxury restaurant l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges in his home town, as well as a chain of brasseries under his license. Paul Bocuse had numerous pupils, many of which became famous chefs themselves. One of them was Eckart Witzigmann , the first German chef to receive three stars.

Since 1987, the prestigious award Bocuse d'Or has been regarded as the most prestigious award for chefs in the world (at least when french food is considered), and is sometimes seen as the unofficial world championship for chefs. Except the winning country is not allowed to participate the next championship.

Previous winners of Bocuse d'Or:

External links

• Official site