HUBLOT, OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER OF THE 2019 BOCUSE D’OR
The quest for excellence, the desire for precision, innovation and passing on traditional savoir-faire are values inherent in Fine Watchmaking and Fine Cuisine. For several years, Hublot has welcomed into its family some of the most world-renowned chefs who highlight their Art. Therefore, it was natural for the Swiss watch manufacture to get involved in the finale of the Bocuse d'Or culinary competition, which brings together the most promising chefs of a generation.
Created in 1987 by the famous Lyons chef, Paul Bocuse, the Bocuse d’Or is much more than an international gastronomy competition, it is a veritable sporting event based on gastronomy and chefs. Just like high-level athletes, 24 chefs from 24 countries, selected in the Bocuse d’Or continental rounds, meet head to head in Lyons for the two-day grand finale.
In 12 kitchens set up in an arena hosting 6,235 enthusiastic supporters from the world over, the teams, comprising a Chef, President, Coach and Commis, have just five hours and thirty-five minutes in which to prepare a tray presentation and a plated dish based on two specific themes.
To be sure of success in this endurance event, the Chefs had to keep a very close eye on Hublot’s - the event’s Official Timekeeper - countdown timer. Employing the same painstaking precision as in watchmaking, the Chefs demonstrated their talent, expertise, team spirit and incredible concentration throughout the two-day finale. Watchmakers and chefs alike share the same passion for traditional craftsmanship, savoir-faire and leaving their mark on time.
At the end of the competition, Hublot commended Chef Kenneth Toft-Hansen, the overall winner of the Bocuse d’Or 2019, for his outstanding dishes. Benoît Lecigne, the General Manager of Hublot France, Benelux, United Kingdom, Ireland, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, and Jean-Louis Maier, owner of the Watches and Jewellery store Maier in Lyon, rewarded the winning chef with one of the Swiss manufacture’s most iconic models - the Classic Fusion Chronograph.
Like watchmaking, gastronomy is an art passed down from one generation to another, from master to pupil or chef to commis. It is the story of humankind, which Hublot recounts through the values of innovation and its Ambassadors: Yannick Alléno, winner of the Bocuse d’Argent in 1999, twice three-starred French chef in the Michelin Guide, and founder of the Cuisine Moderne movement; Christian André Pettersen, winner of the Bocuse d’Or Europe 2018 and winner of gold medals in numerous culinary completions; and Andreas Caminada, a Swiss chef with three Michelin stars and 19 Gault & Millau points, as well as being voted n°1 in the highly rigorous Opinionated About Dining. Three ambitious chefs who constantly push the culinary boundaries between tradition and innovation.
Benoit Lecigne sums up: “The final of the Bocuse d’Or is to gastronomy what the FIFA™ World Cup is to football. It is a real honour for Hublot to be selected as the official timekeeper of this competition along with Maier, our retailing partner in Lyons. The 17th edition showcased the values so dear to Hublot - passion, the love of challenge, total commitment and innovation coupled with respect for tradition. I would like to congratulate once again the very deserving winners; Chef Kenneth Toft-Hansen, and his team for their truly innovative culinary creations!”
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