The Bocuse D'or USA Foundation Announces Chef Applicant Search For Team USA 2011

The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation is now accepting applications for professional chefs to represent the United States in the prestigious 2011 Bocuse d'Or International Culinary Competition, which will be held in Lyon, France on January 25-26, 2011. Established in 1987 by Chef Paul Bocuse, Bocuse d'Or is the preeminent international culinary competition in which teams of one chef and one commis assistant from twenty-four countries compete for top honors and international acclaim.

Committed to inspiring culinary excellence among young culinary professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America, The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation seeks qualified chef applicants who will successfully represent the United States at the global competition, and who will remain lifelong ambassadors of gastronomic excellence. All applicants must meet the below competition criteria and complete the Application Form packet, which is available at www.bocusedorusa.org.

- The Chef Applicant must be an American citizen and 23 years of age or older at the time of the final competition in Lyon on January 25, 2011
- The Chef Applicant must have at least (3) three years of experience in a fine dining establishment
- The Commis Applicant must be an American citizen and 22 years of age or younger at the time of the final competition in Lyon on January 25, 2011

From the pool of applicants, The Foundation's Board of Directors - Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse - will review all of the submissions and select the sixteen semi-finalist teams, which will be announced at a press conference on Monday, December 7, 2009. From February 5-6, 2010 at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, these sixteen teams will compete for a chance to represent the United States at Bocuse d'Or. The teams will compete in a U.S. Semi-Final round on Friday, February 5th . The top eight teams will advance to the U.S. Final competition, held on Saturday, February 6th. The top candidate and commis will be selected as the U.S. representative.

The competition prizes include an award trophy for each competing team and a cash prize for the top three Final Competition Teams:
- 1st Prize: $5,000
- 2nd Prize: $4,000
- 3rd Prize: $3,000

"We are seeking a competitive candidate who is dedicated to excellence in the culinary arts and will be excited to represent the United States at Bocuse d'Or," said Chef Daniel Boulud, Chairman of The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation. "The Foundation's Board of Directors, Culinary Council and I are looking forward to working closely with the eventual chef candidate throughout the training period in preparation for the international competition in Lyon."

The Foundation provides Team USA with a customized, year-long training program that is crafted and supervised by the Foundation's Board of Directors and members of the Culinary Council. In addition, all direct expenses associated with participation in the international competition are provided by the Foundation, including round trip air travel to Lyon, meals and accommodations for 15 days in France, registration fees, on-site acclimation training, competition ingredients and presentation platters.

Applications are due by November 30, 2009. For more information on The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation including the application process, please visit www.bocusedorusa.org.

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The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation
Established in 2009, The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation is a non-profit (501(c)(3)) culinary organization devoted to inspiring culinary excellence within young professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America. The Foundation is lead by a Board of Directors comprised of Chef Daniel Boulud, Chef Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse. Under their direction, the Foundation aim