Bocuse d"Or Finals - Team Piemonte

It is no coincidence that Piedmont is the driving force behind the Italian brigade, led by Martino Ruggieri, during the world final of the Bocuse d'Or on 29 and 30 January in Lyon. According to Lonely Planet, the region number 1 in the "Best in Travel" 2019 ranking is an increasingly recognized international tourist destination, with a strong vocation for excellent food and wine. The link established between Piedmont and Bocuse d'or (the most important cooking competition in the world) underlines the region's desire to be recognised as the Italian capital of haute cuisine.

In fact, Turin was chosen to host the European selection of the competition in June 2018, the preliminary phase of the world final. A very important event, which enabled the area to enjoy an international showcase in which the best emerging European chefs have made use of typical Piedmontese products thanks to the collaboration with the regional Ministry of Agriculture. A path that will also be present in Lyon, where Piedmont will be present, will be continued during the days of the competition, with a stand and will offer for tasting some of the main products of regional dishes and wine. As further confirmation of the Piedmontese vocation, Alba has been hosting since 2017 the Accademia del Bocuse d'Or, the headquarters of the prestigious award in Italy. After training the finalist chef and his team for the European selections, the Academy is now preparing for the final phase of the world competition.

The project of the Academy, with a Piedmontese "heart", was desired and supported, among others, by the Department of Culture and Tourism of the region, the city of Alba, the Ente Fiera Nazionale del tartufo bianco d'Alba and the Tourist Office of Langhe Monferrato Roero.  The preparation of Team Italia is done by president Enrico Crippa (three-star Michelin chef) and director Luciano Tona, as well as a committee of 30 chefs from all over Italy and a group that is not only concerned with the preparations that bring Martino Ruggieri and his team to the world final, but also with the design of the tray. It is a composed team, consisting of professionalism, experience, traditions and knowledge that from food and wine to design and craftsmanship of excellence, find in Piedmont a complete and complete expression.

A long and important work on the improvement of food and the territory that, in addition to the Accademia Bocuse d'or Italia, sees more and more excellent chefs choose Piedmont as their headquarters. A top achievement certified by the Michelin Guide 2019, which has awarded the highest number of new stars in this area: five, for a total of forty-five local residents of the region, seven of whom are in Turin alone.

"There will be a lot of Piedmont in the Italian team that will participate in the world final of the Bocuse d'or. A result that we are particularly proud of and that is the result of a path that has allowed us in recent years, even with large investments, in positioning our territory as a leader at national level in the field of food and wine excellence," says Antonella Parigi, Councillor for culture and tourism of the region.

Enrico Crippa, President of the Accademia Bocuse d'or Italia, adds: "The experience of the Bocuse d'or was a great adventure. The working group has become a group of friends. The humanity created within the team has preferred an important project with a very strong architectural value and expression. I am satisfied with the work done so far and I believe in a future project of the Academy that will make it possible to improve Italian haute cuisine in the world.

Chef Martino Ruggieri concludes: "We are reaching this final with many hours of work behind us. The Bocuse d'or for the French and Northern Europeans is considered the competition par excellence. Italy came too late to become passionate about the Bocuse d'or, but the movement that has emerged around this finale seems to me to be an interesting signal. We are a people of creatives; this competition requires us to associate this nature with a good dose of executive capacity. The team is close and concentrated and we reach the finals with a good emotional charge and strong concentration.