FACE TO FACE WITH … MATHEW PETERS
Mathew Peters, Bocuse d’Or 2017, was the Jury President of Bocuse d’Or 2019,
2 years ago, you won the last edition of Bocuse d’Or and now you’ve been asked to become the Jury President of the 2019 edition. What is it like to be on the other side of the contest?
It’s quite the honor to become part of the Jury for 2019 amongst all the chefs that I admire and look up too.
Every chef who comes to compete in the Bocuse d’Or dreams of being in this position and I am excited to do this for the first time in the history of the competition for Team USA.
In 2017, the team and I kept our focus on our run and never saw what the rest of the teams were doing. It will be nice to see the competition as a whole this year from the other side!
How did that work out for you, to win one of the most prestigious culinary competition? What has it achieved?
It has been a roller coaster ride of an experience with many travels and appearances to spread the word of what the team achieved. In the States, the competition isn’t as well known as it is in Europe and other parts ofthe world. I believe that with our win, we have excited our country in what the competition stands for and represents.
For myself, the victory has brought notoriety and attention. It will help me to launch my own restaurant next summer. I am thrilled to finally show case a piece of me and my travels through my food.
What are the qualities you expect from the participants? What makes the perfect candidate?
What makes a perfect candidate is very hard to say, but some attributes that help in the pursuit of perfection would be to stay humble and respectful to the competition. Bocuse d’Or yet extremely competitive, is an opportunity to bring our industry closer from around the world.
It’s an opportunity to push our talents to a new level that has yet to be seen or attempted. Understanding that this is a team competition and the support from our mentors and the people around us are the reasons for our success.
Which advice could you give to the candidates who will step into your shoes in January?
Enjoy it!!! It’s a wild ride and it can go quick so take the time to soak it up. You only have one shot to show case years of hard work.
What does the Bocuse d’Or family represent for you?
The Bocuse d’Or family to me is a group of very talented individuals that are pushing and setting new bench marks in our industry. Creating these relationships through the competition has brought a new family of mentors and friendships that will carry on for years to come. I am privileged and honored to be included along side all of these prestigious group of chefs.
