With Rougié, let the competition begin!

Monday 18 April 2011

Privileged partner of chefs and of grande cuisine, Rougié couldn't help but to be involved in the training of chefs and their ascension by way of cooking contests! For the brand, it all started rather informally back when Jean Rougié was travelling in the great capitals of the world.

A notable chef was often his companion during these trips: Paul Bocuse. Together, they visited the most prestigious establishments, bringing advices and innovative recipes, giving demonstrations in front of mesmerized students, helping to achieve recognition for cuisine's increasing values. Later, this mission was entrusted to such chefs as Daniel Chambon and Jean-Paul Chevré who became in their own right Rougié ambassadors. Today, 20 Rougié Culinary Advisers visit Chefs the world over.

It is truly with the Bocuse d'Or that the Rougié brand offi cially enters into the partnership and sponsorship of the best competitions of artistic cuisine. Awarded to Jacky Freon at the fi rst edition in 1987, the Bocuse d'Or quickly establishes itself as the most prestigious challenge, placing under the glaring lights chefs of such stature as Michel Roth, Léa Linster, Régis Marcon, Yannick Alleno... Aiming to create lasting bonds among these great chefs and to encourage their sharing of experiences, Rougié founded the Bocuse d'Or Winner`s Academy in 2001. In the years that followed, the brand continued to sponsor other cooking contests. In 2002, it was the Jean Delaveyne Trophy, a high level gastronomic contest that revealed talented young chefs like Pascal Garrigues and Simon Ganache. Since 2004, the Rougié brand has its own contest, the Rougié Foie Gras Trophy, which fi gures within the framework of the “Carrefour des Métiers de Bouche,” an event meeting every two years in Poitou-Charentes that gathers together professionals from France's west.

Rougié's desire to be involved in helping young chefs achieve recognition was fi rmly established in 2010 with the creation of the Jean Rougié Trophy. Associated with an event that attracts large crowds - the Foie Gras and Truffl e Festival of Sarlat - the Trophy had a double impact: guaranteed publicity for a contest exclusively of culinary students from all over France, and an incredible nudge in the right direction for the young chefs, as they are introduced to the elite of their profession. Furthermore, they are rewarded with fabulous gifts!