Delegation 06, in partnership with the Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organized the 8th Edition of the Master Restaurateurs Young Talents Competition this Monday morning.
This is a national competition (sponsored by none other than Guillaume Gomez, the Chef of the Élysée) whose Nice selection phase takes place in the heart of Nice, at the Paul Augier Hotel and Tourism School premises.
The 10 candidates selected based on their applications were invited. Unfortunately, due to the flu and cold epidemic, only 7 were present that day.
Their goal: to prepare a dish for 4 people within an allotted time of 2 hours. The theme of this selection was “Rabbit Saddle on a Frolic with Bacon and Crayfish, accompanied by its variation of potatoes with seasonal mushrooms.”
The talented young apprentices are evaluated by a professional jury on the live execution, presentation, and tasting of their work.
1st place — Milene Trezieres, 22 years old, from Restaurant 44 in Antibes
2nd — Ariful Islam Mozumber, 20 years old, from Restaurant Le Figuier Saint-Esprit d’Antibes
3rd place — Sébastien Murcia, 24 years old, from Restaurant Anne Sophie Pic de Valence
Here is the final result of the Nice selection of the Young Talents Master Restaurateurs competition, carried out by the 7 young talents. Only one will continue the adventure on January 19th in Paris, at CFA Médéric.
An adventure and selection that began early morning at the Paul Augier Hotel and Tourism School premises. The stress was at its peak in the kitchen.
There’s no room for error, especially as future master restaurateurs are graded by their teachers and a prestigious jury. Indeed, the greatest restaurateurs of the Alpes Maritimes are present on the other side of the door:
Jacques Rolancy, MOF, Restaurant Les Viviers, Nice
Denis Férault, MOF, Principal of the Paul Augier Hotel School, President of the Campus of Trades and Qualifications in Tourism, Hospitality, and Catering Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur
Alain Llorca, 1* Michelin, Restaurant Les Anges, La Colle sur Loup
Éric Doré, CEO of the Regional Tourism Committee Côte d’Azur France
Daniel Ettlinger, 1* Michelin, Restaurant Le Clos Saint Pierre, Le Rouret
Michael Fulci, 1* Michelin, Restaurant Les Terraillers, Biot
The cooking teacher at Paul Augier High School in Nice coordinates the event with Mr. Mattéo Mansi, President of the Alpes-Maritimes Restaurant Delegation.
They both monitor the event taking place in the kitchen. “We divide the tasks and evaluations, focusing on the technical aspect of the contest, knowing that we have both a professional outlook and a teacher’s pedagogical perspective,” states Mr. Michaud François Xavier.
He adds, “Each candidate is supported by a student from the school, who provides assistance and support throughout the competition.”
For the teacher, it’s a great experience for his young students because it allows them to fully immerse themselves in the competition’s context and also to pass on their knowledge. They are the future professionals of tomorrow.
The contest lasted 2 hours, with the first result appearing as early as 11 a.m. The first candidate faced the judges with a positive outcome despite some minor errors, partly related to cooking that one of the master restaurateurs deemed too mild.
The dishes then followed every 10 minutes before the jury, with a result awaited early in the afternoon once all candidates had been scored and results compared by the different judges.
a high technical score scale
The scores ranged from 1 to 10 for the organization of work techniques, from 1 to 5 for cleanliness, from 1 to 10 for adherence to their recipe’s technical sheet, and from 1 to 10 for the technical execution of their recipe. These scores only concerned the culinary part.
The tasting and quality of the plate were then rated, but the criteria remained secret.
According to Mr. Matteo Mansi, the president of the Alpes-Maritimes Restaurant Delegation, the competition is important. He explains: “They are only young people aged 17 to 23, the future of our profession belongs to them.” He says, “we are here to encourage them to participate in such competitions to self-evaluate,” for him, young people should experience the pace of a culinary competition.
A satisfied president of the present candidates who doesn’t hesitate to push the young ones into the kitchen, calling it “the most beautiful profession in the world, combining elegance and accuracy for a colorful cuisine.”
Young people feel small in front of the experienced chefs present but wish to learn from their elders. “You have to remain confident,” said one of the young people interviewed.
One of the chefs said that cooking “is about providing taste and extraordinary flavors, leaving the client with a gustatory memory that lasts a lifetime.”
