Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Official Press Release



The following is the official press release issued at a press event held today at the Pear Tree Restaraunt. Many members of the press braved the relentless snow to enjoy a sampling of the dishes Chef Jaeger will be contending with, and to hear Chef Jaeger and Chef Michael Noble, past competitor for Canada, elaborate on the rigorous proceedings and obstacles facing Chef Jaeger this year.

Vancouver, B.C. - Scott Jaeger, supported by apprentice Brody White, both of the Pear Tree Restaurant in Burnaby, are making their final preparations before leaving for Lyon, France to represent Canada at the 2007 Bocuse d'Or culinary competition.

The Bocuse d'Or is one of the premier international cooking competitions in the world. It is organized under the stewardship of famed French chef Paul Bocuse, and is held every two years in Lyon, France. Two days of intense cooking culminate in the presentation of the Gold Bocuse trophy to the overall grand winner. The 2007 Bocuse d'Or is taking place on January 23 and 24, 2007. During the past five competitions, Canada has made excellent progress but is still hoping to break the European hold on the winner's podium.

Twenty-four chefs from around the globe representing their respective countries are invited to vie for top honors by preparing two platters for service of 12 persons using two specified ingredients. As Paul Bocuse likes to say, "Cooking is simple!" The two chosen ingredients are described as "everyday products that are not all that simple to cook, thus leaving a great deal of scope for the contestants' culinary skills. " He was correct! This year, the competitors must work with Norwegian halibut and poulet de Bresse! The difficulty of these theme ingredients coupled with the five-hour time limit for preparation and the intense pressure of performing in front of thousands of rabid cooking fans from all corners of the globe provide for a great cooking spectacle.

Each competing country may send only one representative chef to this competition - Scott won the right to compete in Lyon at the Canadian Culinary Federation's National Selection Competition in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in 2004. He had the opportunity to attend Bocuse 2005 to learn about the markets, conditions and pressure in Lyon allowing him to be better prepared for his time on the world cooking stage.

The Canadian judge at the competition will be Robert Allen Sulatycky, currently Executive Chef of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Robert was Canada's Bocuse d'Or competitor in 1999.

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