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Come January Lyon, France will be taken over by the Hotel and Catering world for the International Hotel and Catering Exhibition (SIRHA). To conclude the annual conference, there will be a competition known as the Bocuse d’Or World Cuisine Contest. The Bocuse d’Or brings young aspiring chefs from around the world to compete for the first place prize and bragging rights as the best apprentice chef in the world.

This year, apprentice chef Matthew Lee was chosen to represent Australia. He recently won first place in a 5 hour cooking marathon in Brisbane which qualified him for the Bocuse d’Or. He will work alongside his senior sous chef Russell Clarke, whom he works with at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. At age 20, Lee is a 3rd year apprentice with great talent. He will be a force to be reckoned with come January in Lyon.

The Bocuse d’Or takes place over 2 days. The first day, half of the contestants are eliminated and the other half move on to the second day. In past years, there has been once challenge each day with a focus on a specific ingredient. Past challenges include featuring ingredients like duck, salmon, and bresse chicken. The Bocuse d’Or has a live audience of those attending the SIRHA conference. They sit in galleries, only metres away from the cubicle cooking areas that the contestants compete in.

The judges of the contest are elite in the cooking world. Each country has one chef on the judging panel, usually one of the most renowned representatives from their nation. This same judge is the one that chooses which apprentice chef will cook for their country. Obviously, there are rules in place that keep the judging fair when it comes to the selection process in Lyon.

The best of the best will be battling for the win. Apprentice chefs from all over the world will have to show their creativity and skills that they have picked up during their education. Due to Lee’s abilities in the kitchen, he has a very great chance to place in the competition. The Australian cooking team is said to be at a high level when it comes to international cooking standards and it should make for an exciting challenge. We’ll have to wait and see whether or not Australia can come out on the top in the Bocuse d’Or!

Image by Alfonso Jiminez