Raising our game

We know that we need to raise our game again if we’re going to do well in Lyon so standing still isn’t an option. Unfortunately, we won’t know which fish or meat we’ll be dealing with until the end of June but there’s no time like the present to get thinking!

For the past few weeks, I’ve been seeking inspiration in various forms.  I was lucky enough to be a guest of Nespresso, Bocuse d’Or sponsors, on a chef study trip out to Switzerland.  It was a great opportunity to meet talented and innovative chefs from around Europe, including Eduoard Loubet, the two Michelin starred chef from Bonnieux, Provence who I greatly admire.  It was an eye opener to watch chefs creating savoury dishes using espresso and whilst I didn’t come back with any specific dishes in mind, it was great to see just how far some chefs take their creativity.

With thanks to Jodi Hinds photography

Now I’m back in Edgbaston I’m looking for inspiration closer to home and working on a theme for my dishes.


As I said in my last blog, the Bocuse d’Or is not a level playing field and unfortunately, unlike some other countries which are supported by their governments, the UK has always had to rely on donations.  We received a great response in the run up to Brussels with the majority of our equipment and ingredients being donated by a wide range of businesses.  However, for the next stage we really need to drum up support for coming out to Lyon and also to help us to raise the funds necessary to make our entry the best that it can be.

If you’d like to do your bit in helping Team UK to show the rest of the world what we’re capable of, please send an email to our coach, Nick Vadis (Nick.vadis@compass-group.co.uk) with ‘Bocuse d’Or support’ in the subject line.

We’ll also be planning some fundraising events over the coming months so make sure you follow us on Twitter @BocusedorUK for details.