It’s the most prestigious culinary competition in the world, but you may not be aware of it. No, not MasterChef – we’re talking about the Bocuse d’Or. A competition steeped in gastronomic history as founded in 1987 by the great, late Paul Bocuse, who was dubbed as ‘the lion of Lyon’ for popularising the nouvelle cuisine of seasonal and lighter dishes across the globe.

His vision? To broaden people’s understanding of the hard work, dedication and practice that goes into consistently producing the best dishes at the best restaurants in the world. The recipe? A rigorous cooking contest in front of a live audience with elite chefs competing for their country to demonstrate its culinary merits and setting new food trends across the world.

35 years on, the grand finals are as fierce as ever. The greatest chefs from 24 countries descend on Lyon to battle intensely over two days, preparing an elaborate platter – somewhat reminiscent of a modern Henry VIII style feast – alongside a beautifully presented plated dish. Both must push the boundaries of gastronomy in order to reach the coveted podium.

While the briefs, time limit and format are the same for all competitors, we’ve discovered some interesting similarities and differences between both of Liquid’s teams: Australia and the UK.

What are the similarities?

Top chefs compete and support

Akin to the ‘real’ comedy circuit with comedians who spend their time pleasing audiences at comedy clubs and intimate theatres, and avoid becoming a television personality, the chefs who compete and support the Bocuse d’Or are the ones who work day-in-day-out at leading culinary restaurants and institutions across both nations.

The red, white and blue team who competed in the 2023 grand finals was composed of names including Clare Smyth (Global Chef Ambassador), Andreas Antona (Chair) and Tom Phillips (Team Coach) – an elite group with 7 Michelin stars between them. While the green and gold team includes hatted chefs such as Tom Milligan (President), Scott Pickett (Jury Member) and Dan Arnold (Team Coach). It’s their job to support the chef and commis to try and reach the podium.

Both teams have never reached the podium

Neither nation has yet managed to attain a top three finish at the grand finals in Lyon. Australia’s top finish came from Dan Arnold in 2017, who finished 8^th and now owns one of Brisbane’s best eateries – Restaurant Dan Arnold. While the UK’s best ever finish was in 2013 with Adam Bennett, now of the Michelin starred The Cross in Kenilworth, narrowly missing out on the podium with 4^th place.

Lack of funding

When compared to some of the top teams who operate on million-dollar (or pound) budgets, with governmental support and funding from large corporate sponsors, it’s fair to say that teams Australia and UK are punching above their weight in this regard. Just to put it into perspective; the German team is sponsored by Mercedes, while America has a dedicated training facility for the team to focus solely on the competition for two years.

Both Australia and the UK rely on brilliant teamwork and their passion to succeed in order to attract funding from smaller scale sponsors in the culinary world. The chef’s bosses must also agree to spare them from their brigade to practice and compete. It’s a genuine passion project for both countries.

What are the differences?

The journey to representing their country

To get the chance to compete for their nation, the chefs and commis must go through a series of relentless rounds. But this is where the first difference comes in. The UK heats are conducted privately, with the team of Michelin star chefs deciding who will represent the UK before their first public test at the European Finals. On the other side of the world, the Australian heats take place at Foodservice Australia, the biggest food and beverage trade show in the continent, in front of a live audience, like a smaller version of the finals, before they head to the Asia-Pacific round.

Supplier challenges

This year’s grand finals saw the outstanding seafood from Scotland on the world stage as the brief for the platter dictated that teams would have to prepare Scottish monkfish, alongside garnishes including king scallops and mussels. While Australian chefs appreciate the quality of the produce, the 9,434-mile geographical difference made it difficult to source. Something the UK team had less of a challenge with. As founded by Paul Bocuse, the competition will always be innately European centric, with factors such as supply affecting the APAC countries in particular.

Culinary and cultural distinctions

Teams compete in the Bocuse d’Or to represent their country on the biggest cooking competition stage in the world. This is why it’s so-called the culinary Olympics. But it’s not a 100m sprint, the chefs work tirelessly over two years to prepare for the 5-and-a-half-hour challenge to create something new and that’s representative of their country.

This is where the most obvious difference comes in…the final platters and plated dishes. At the 2023 final, Australia’s creations showcased native ingredients like lemon myrtle and macadamia nuts, while the UK reached for Cox apples and opted for a bespoke platter design that resembled the Big Ben clock face.

Who will come out on top in 2025? Only time will tell, but you can keep up to date with both teams’ preparations by following them on social media at @bocusedoruk and @bocusedoraus.