Clare Smyth appointed President of Bocuse d’Or UK

Three Michelin-starred chef Clare Smyth MBE has taken over the Presidency of Bocuse d’Or UK.

Clare assumes the role from Simon Rogan who held the Presidency since taking over from Brian Turner CBE in 2018 and remains a key member of the Bocuse d’Or UK Academy.

The move is part of Bocuse d’Or UK’s ambition to inspire young British chefs and to give Team UK the best chance of winning in the world’s most prestigious cooking contest.

Clare is the first and only British female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars for her restaurant Core by Clare Smyth in London, and the fourth British chef in history to receive the honour.

Most recently, she also became the second chef in history to hold three hats at the same time for her restaurant Oncore by Clare Smyth in Sydney, Australia, after just a year opening.

Passionate about inspiring young chefs and attracting new talent to the kitchen, Clare became a Global Ambassador for Bocuse d’Or Team UK in 2021. As President Clare has one goal - to get Team UK on the podium.

Big news in the culinary world! 👀 @chefclaresmyth, the only British female chef with 3 #michelinstars, is now President of #bocusedoruk, and her goal is to get Team UK on the podium 🇬🇧

Congrats Clare, we can’t wait to see what you’ll achieve! pic.twitter.com/I1ktITUeJJ

— BocuseTeamUK (@BocusedorUK) April 18, 2023

Clare Smyth said: "After witnessing the UK team's ambition and skill at this year's Bocuse d'Or World Final, earning them 7th place amongst the world's best chefs, I am honoured to accept the prestigious role of team President. The opportunity is there for Britain to be regarded as one of the best in global gastronomy. Receiving such recognition not only reinforces our influence in the international culinary world, but can also have a huge impact on our hospitality industry by encouraging growth and inspiring the next generation of chefs."

"Team UK undoubtedly has the ability to reach the top, but to do so, we need more investment. Similar to Olympic athletes, this would allow the chefs to dedicate more of their time to train and to practise for the Bocuse d’Or, which we know is a key contributor to the success of the winning teams," she added.

Further team changes will also see The Ritz London’s John Williams MBE stepping down and the UK’s most successful candidate to date, Adam Bennett from The Cross at Kenilworth, taking over as technical director.

Simon Rogan added: "It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to lead the UK Team as President and I’m proud of what the team has achieved. It’s been a rewarding four years and I’m looking forward to continuing my involvement albeit in a different capacity."

The next challenge for the Bocuse d’Or UK will be to recruit and train the next candidate and commis chef from a National Selection in June this year. The new team will need then to put in a strong performance at the Bocuse d’Or European selection which takes place in Trondhem Norway from March 19-20, 2024.

Chair Andreas Antona says, "As with any successful team we are always looking at ways to expand and bring in new skills and experience. Simon has been an asset to the team during what turned out to be an eventful few years. He has always been generous with his time despite his Michelin success, pandemic challenges and business growth. Having two of the UK’s three Michelin starred chefs on the team demonstrates that we are a serious contender and with Clare’s ambition and experience we are looking at a new era in Bocuse d’Or UK and aiming to achieve that elusive placing on the podium."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Bocuse d'Or UK (@bocusedoruk)