Now Is the Time for All Good Chefs to Come to the Aid of Their Country: Bocuse d’Or

Word is out this week that Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller are underway in their efforts to find a chef to represent the United States at the Bocuse d’Or, the grand international culinary competition held yearly in Lyon. Historically, it's been a blind spot for the United States, which is a curious thing, given that this is a weighty competition in the rest of the world. (See also: why Top Chef matters?) However, our man DB, chairman, and his man Keller, president, along with an advisory board of everyone you've ever heard of, are out to change all that. Their goal: To seek out and train the best USA team ever. Here's the call to action they've sent around to all the chefs in the land, known and unknown:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Twenty one years ago, Chef Paul Bocuse created the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France. As the most rigorous international culinary competition, the Bocuse d’Or provides a platform for talented young chefs to represent their countries on the world stage. Together with Thomas Keller, Jerome Bocuse and many of America’s best chefs, we have established a not-for-profit organization to recruit and train a USA team to compete at the Bocuse d’Or. Our goal is to promote a team on par with the culinary status this country has earned. With the generosity of our sponsors, including All-Clad/Krups, Diageo, Moet & Chandon, American Express, SYSCO, Acqua Panna/San Pellegrino, Avero, Chefwear, Crystal Cruises, and OpenTable, we hope to create a legacy of support that will extend beyond this year’s competition for many years to come.
Today we are launching our website, www.bocusedorusa.org, and our appeal for candidates. In our efforts to attract competitors from across America we are sending applications to top restaurateurs, chefs, culinary educators and members of the media so that they will encourage the best young chefs in the country to apply.
I hope that you will help to spread the word about the competition. Applications are due by June 30. Potential candidates will need to begin working on their applications immediately.
The USA Committee for the Bocuse d’Or looks forward to seeing America win the international culinary recognition that it so rightly deserves. We are in search of the best USA team ever, and we know that our country’s talented young chefs are up to the challenge.
Best Regards,

Chef Daniel Boulud
Chairman of the Board
Bocuse d’Or USA