Prolific Multi-award Winning Restaurateur Jo�l Robuchon Wins The 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award As Chosen By Restaurant Magazine.

The award will be presented at The S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards ceremony in London on 20 April.

Jo�l Robuchon has long been one of France�s legendary culinary masters. He is renowned for his rigour, skill and passion, and for reinventing the notion of fine dining. In addition to building up a culinary empire, he has taught and inspired many of today�s great chefs.

Robuchon will be presented with his award by chef Claude Bosi in the magnificent surroundings of the Freemasons' Hall in London's Covent Garden. In accepting this honour the Hibiscus chef-proprietor Bosi extolled the great chef's influence:

"Having accomplished what most chefs can only dream of in their careers, Jo�l Robuchon has made a huge impact on our industry. Building his empire using basic fundamentals; discipline, honesty and consistency; he has achieved the formulae of worldwide success. Jo�l Robuchon is one of the few who I can personally say has been instrumental in developing the food and restaurants we have today."
Claude Bosi, chef-proprietor, Hibiscus

On Monday 20 April Jo�l Robuchon will be surrounded by his peers, all fellow members of the restaurant nobility, to hear the annual roll call of the World's 50 Best Restaurants.

Paul Wootton, editor of Restaurant magazine which organises the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, explains why Jo�l Robuchon was chosen to be recipient of this award:

"His embracing of other culinary cultures and dining experiences propelled him to new heights when he re-emerged on to the restaurant scene in 2003, allowing him to create a restaurant empire that spans the globe. He demonstrated how great food can both absorb and transcend cultural and linguistic differences. While he may now be a global culinary superstar (the fact that he holds more Michelin stars than anyone else attests to that), he remains a stickler for detail and as infatuated with the art of cooking as he has ever been. That he can disseminate his culinary vision without diluting it is a rare achievement indeed."
Paul Wootton, Editor, Restaurant

In accepting this award Jo�l Robuchon joins previous winners Gualtiero Marchesi (2008), Alice Waters (2007), Michel Roux Sr. and Albert Roux (2006) and Paul Bocuse (2005), all of whom have made an outstanding contribution to the pursuit of culinary excellence.

Despite having achieved such heights of culinary excellence, Robuchon shows no sign of him taking his foot off the pedal. Robuchon opened his first "pure" Japanese restaurant, Yoshi in Monaco in January this year.

Jo�l Robuchon will be in the UK for a limited period and will be available for a select number of interviews on Monday 20 April only.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is sponsored by Laurent-Perrier.

www.worlds50best.com