This year the competition will be from 10 April to 14 May with the first stage of the competition held in Dinard at the Yvon Bourge Culinary school. This unique competition captures both the technical knowledge for creating & presenting fine dishes but also, rated with the same importance, the sustainability behind the recipe to preserve marine resource.  

The morning was devoted to technical tests both in the kitchen and in the dining room, with outstanding skills on display. The candidates in the kitchen were creating gastronomical and home style dishes whilst waiters demonstrated their skills, preparing dishes table side showing engaging cooking techniques while commenting on the origins of ingredients and promoting their choice of suppliers & marine ingredients. Right from this first part of the day the engagement towards sustainable cuisine of these young students was vitalizing.

In the afternoon the sustainability pitches were held by each candidate in front of the full judging panel, where candidates had to pitch their sustainability initiatives around the dish they had prepared in the morning and answer the panels questions on sustainability and marine resource preservation. The candidates demonstrated that they were well prepared for this part of the contest : being able to talk about the marine resource they had chosen, its stock availability, the most sustainable fishing techniques origins of others ingredients linked to terroir. That made sense towards sustainability but also going further with cooking methods or use of all part of the fish… “Preparing the contest made me realise how important sustainability can be for creating meals and that’s driving me to know more about it” said one of the contestants.

During the award ceremony the president of Ethic Ocean reminded all that “we only eat what is living and we only collaborate with living in preparing food” pointing out the importance of respecting the resource and “saving the living”. 

Maxime Bichindariz won first prize in the waiter category while Xinnong Man won first prize in kitchen category, a fantastic realisation for someone who came from China 5 years ago not speaking French. Alongside the winners all finalists are now part of the “equipage de la mer” engaged in promoting the preservation of the marine resource.

About the competition : Olivier Roellinger culinary contest is for professional & students engaged to preserve marine resources. This competition was co-founded by Ethic Ocean, The Relais & Châteaux association and the two culinary schools : FERRANDI Paris and Lycée hôtelier de Dinard. Candidates need to prepare seafood-based dishes (gastronomical style & home style ones) but they also need to pitch their sustainability initiatives around this dish and answer the jury questions on sustainability and marine resource preservation. “The nominees show that cooking can be as sustainable as tasty” Olivier Roellinger, chef of Maisons Bricourt. There is also a contest for waiters, as through their contact with guests, they can play a huge role in influencing sea resource preservation.  Ecolab is part of the Jury in Dinard & Athens.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE
APRIL 10-11, 2024 : “Cooking” contest - Students of Northern and Western Europe Event at the Yvon Bourges catering school in Dinard, France
APRIL 10-11, 2024 : “Waiters” contest - Students of Europe at the Yvon Bourges catering school in Dinard, France
APRIL 30 & MAY 1, 2024 : “Cooking” contest - Students of Southern and Eastern Europe Event at the Le Monde Institute of Hotel and Tourism Studies in Athens, Greece
MAY 14, 2024 : “Cooking” contest Professionals of Europe Event at FERRANDI Paris catering school, France