France triumphs at the 2025 Bocuse d’Or 

France has once again proven its culinary mastery by winning the 2025 Bocuse d’Or, one of the world’s most prestigious gastronomy competitions.  

Led by 29-year-old chef Paul Marcon, the French team outshone competitors from across the globe and their victory holds particular significance, coming three decades after Marcon’s father, the celebrated Michelin-starred chef Régis Marcon, claimed the title in 1995. The competition, which is considered the Olympics of cooking, was held at Sirha, the international hospitality and food trade fair in Chassieu, near Lyon, at the end of January. 

The Bocuse d’Or was founded in 1987 by the legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, whose vision was to elevate competitive cooking to new heights. Since then, it has gained global prestige, with top chefs from around the world taking part in the competition, which is held every two years in Lyon and tests technical skill, innovation and artistry. France last won the competition in 2021, when chef Davy Tissot led the team to victory. 

Marcon, who has worked in esteemed kitchens in Lyon, Noirmoutier and Sweden says winning the Bocuse d’Or was the culmination of years of dedication. “As a child, it was a dream; as I grew in my profession, it became a clear goal,” he said.   

The 2025 edition of the competition saw 24 teams of chefs work for five and a half intense hours to craft two meticulously designed creations. The first, a grand platter presentation, required them to incorporate venison, foie gras and tea. The second, a plated dish, featured celery, stone bass and lobster. Marcon and his team wowed the jury with a venison shoulder pie braised in red wine, paired with foie gras and wild mushrooms followed by a refined composition of lacy celery stalk, green apple, and Chartreuse. 

Marcon, whose victory marks France’s ninth Bocuse d’Or title, has returned to his family’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, Haute-Loire, where it’s back to work as normal.  

Lead photo credit : France won this year's Bocuse d'Or © Bocuse d'Or