This statement was made in regards to honoring the memorable Chef Paul Bocuse
So, what now?…
The man who meant so much to all of us has left to join his friends, chefs and gourmets of all kinds, at that great table in the sky that brings everyone together.
We’ve cried, we’ve pondered on everything we owe him.
We’ve closed ranks around Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, in a surge of affection, filled with sincere compassion for his family and staff.
The tributes that have streamed in from across the planet have moved us deeply.
We feel like orphans but… Nevertheless, we should feel comforted in knowing that the soul of Paul Bocuse is still among us. He had a great talent for surrounding himself with the right people!
He was a man who loved to pass on his knowledge, to train and delegate people, so the machine would keep running steadfastly.
Today, several people are heirs to his knowledge, several have taken on the daunting challenge of keeping this great establishment alive, in Collonges, but also in the Lyon brasseries and the American and Japanese locations.
Today, Christophe Müller, Gilles Reinhardt and Olivier Couvin are drying their tears and rallying every ounce of energy to ensure that the flame in those stoves never goes out. Vincent Leroux, director of the restaurant, will watch over to ensure that this fine story continues.
In the brasseries, Jérôme Bocuse has placed all his trust in Paul Maurice Morel, so that these much-loved establishments continue to pulsate with life. They know that they can count on Eric Pansu, Cédric Boutroux and Olivier Bourrat.
Madame Bocuse and her daughter Françoise, Martine and the whole crew, remain the protectors of a mindset and know-how so dear to Paul Bocuse.
There is also the Fondation Paul Bocuse and its exemplary work in stimulating vocations and supporting young people who lack material resources but are driven by their faith in a career in the restaurant trade. What is more, we, the Bocuse d’Or Winners, have decided to make a donation, knowing how attached Paul Bocuse was to the foundation.
Lastly, the Institut Paul Bocuse remains the great school he always dreamed of, the one where teachers with a passion for their job will continue to work around Dominique Giraudier and Alain Le Cossec.
So our message to ourselves, the Bocuse d’Or Winners, is this: yes, close to Gl-events, we will continue to support and be involved with all our soul in the contest that Paul Bocuse loved so much and that bears his name. Yes, we will help spark the desire to take part in it. We will guarantee that excellence will always prevail, that it will underpin every action, every decision, that it will shine in the eyes of every candidate. And above all, we will ensure that this feeling of international brotherhood that was so dear to “Monsieur Paul” will reign long into the future.
-All the Bocuse d’Or Winners Chefs
