Simon Hulstone heads to Lyon for Bocuse d’Or 2011

Simon Hulstone, chef proprietor of The Elephant in Torquay will next week represent the UK in the world final of the Bocuse d’Or.

Held in Lyon on 25-26 January, the competition hailed as the Oscars of the culinary world, will once again test the cooking talent of the world’s best chefs.

Over 150 British supporters including chefs, industry professionals and journalists will turn out to cheer on Hulstone, his commis chef Jordan Bailey, and coach Nick Vadis at the event.

Each chef team must present 14 identical plates from a fish and meat platter, with a minimum of three garnishes, which are then judged by 24 of the world’s top chefs.

Second time lucky

This is the second time Hulstone has competed in the competition, having finished tenth in 2009, but the chef is more confident this time around.

“I feel better prepared than I did before the last Bocuse d’Or final and the support over the last nine months has been fantastic,” he said.

“I must admit that when I hear about other candidates doing dozens of practice runs I feel a little nervous. However, we are focused on what we can achieve and hoping that, with a bit of luck and the Great British fans behind us, we can make the country proud.”

BigHospitality was on hand at the European final held in Geneva in June last year, to witness Hulstone and his team qualify for the world final in fourth position.

This year we will be covering the competition live from the arena, with exclusive news, interviews and highlights available from BigH throughout the event. For additional up-to-the-minute news, make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook.