In the culinary world, few competitions hold as much prestige as the Bocuse D’Or. The event was established by the late French chef Paul Bocuse, a legendary figure who, before his passing in 2018, revolutionised modern French cooking and became a symbol of nouvelle cuisine.
Three Macao-based chefs are now on a quest to showcase their culinary craft on the global stage at the upcoming Bocuse d’Or finals in Lyon – team leader Richard Stuart, Oscar Wang, and Xy Zhao Jie. They recently triumphed at the national finals in Guangzhou, a win that enabled them to represent China at the Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific heats, competing against chefs from culinary powerhouses such as Japan and Thailand.
After the regional cook-off, they were awarded one of just two wild cards for the Bocuse d’Or final in Lyon, set for 26 and 27 January 2025 (Latvia received the other). “We’re proudly team China, but we’ve won that event representing Macao,” says Stuart. “This is an opportunity to make Macao even more of a culinary destination.”
However, their journey to Lyon is marked by both excitement and the challenges of securing funding to represent the country. In addition to their jobs at Cotai’s Londoner resort and the intense training that preparing for the competition entails, they’re now actively trying to raise approximately 1 million yuan to cover training and travel expenses.
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The whopping amount includes flights, accommodation and transport in Lyon – for the three chefs plus four support staff. They also need to cover the cost of the ingredients and of producing introductory videos to showcase their skills to the judges.
Stuart emphasises the disparity between Macao and leading European teams, who benefit from extensive sponsorships and resources. “They bring lorries through Europe loaded with different types of equipment. We can’t do that,” he noted.
The chefs are booked to fly to the French city on 9 January, two weeks before the finals. For Stuart and his team, representing China in this global competition is not just a personal achievement but a chance to shine a light on Macao as a culinary destination. “Making it to the top 15 would be a huge, unprecedented milestone for us and for Macao” he tells Macao News, adding that “It would inspire a new generation of chefs in our region”.
In the final, each participating team will prepare a hot dish for 16 guests, featuring venison as the centrepiece of the platter, along with three garnishes. Team China will have 5 hours and 35 minutes to complete this challenge, competing against chefs from 23 countries before an expert judging panel.
