Michelin-starred chef in Lyon
A seasoned traveller who was endlessly curious about other people, Paul Bocuse was always proud of his Lyon roots. Born in Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or on 11 February 1926, he passed away on 20 January 2018 in the very house in which he was born.
The only child of Georges and Irma Bocuse, he came from a long line of chefs, dating back to 1765, when Michel Bocuse, who worked alongside his wife, used to serve farmers fried food, cuts of pork and local cheese.
The heady heights
of Michelin stars
His career began alongside Eugénie Brazier at her iconic restaurant La Mère Brazier, travelling by bike and climbing twenty-six kilometres to the restaurant's rural output at the summit of the Col de la Luère. He then joined the great chef Fernand Point at La Pyramide, one of France’s most famous restaurants at the time. It was here that he learned what would become his two most fundamental guiding principles: simplicity and a total mastery of different cooking methods.
After spending time in Paris at Lucas Carton, before returning to Fernand Point as a pantry chef, Paul Bocuse chose to work for the family business at L’Hôtel du Pont de Collonges.
In 1958, at the age of twenty-six, he was awarded his first Michelin star and momentum began to build. Just a few hundred metres from L’Auberge, L’Abbaye de Collonges was opened to host truly extraordinary events. In 1961, the Chef was given the prestigious title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
In 1962, the restaurant received a second Michelin star; a third followed in 1965 and was retained until 2020. It was at this point that the restaurant was given the chef’s name: L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges – Restaurant Paul Bocuse.
A pioneer of “nouvelle cuisine”
and a living god in Japan
One evening in 1964, Henri Gault and Christian Millau (the founders of the legendary Gault & Millau Guide) were stunned by a salad of al dente green beans, followed by lightly cooked red mullet. The dishes at L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges seemed to them to be light years ahead of the food served elsewhere. Paul Bocuse recommended a visit to the Troisgros restaurant in Roanne, where they found the same ethos: simplicity, sophistication, subtlety and audacity. A movement was clearly emerging; this trend, to which a dozen chefs already subscribed, would later be called “nouvelle cuisine”.
In the early 1980s, Paul Bocuse joined forces with his friends Roger Vergé and Gaston Lenôtre to open Les Chefs de France in Walt Disney World, Orlando. This was the start of Bocuse’s international adventures; he soon became a well-known chef in other countries, including Japan, where he was considered to be a living god.
From the Bocuse d’Or
to the Foundation
In 1987, Paul Bocuse and Albert Romain created the Bocuse d’Or; held in Lyon, it is one of the world’s most prestigious competitions. In 1989, he became President of the world-renowned Meilleur Ouvrier de France competition (cooking and catering) and was named Chef of the Century and Pope of Gastronomy.
In 1990, he opened L’Institut Paul Bocuse (welcoming students from 37 different countries); in 2004, he launched La Fondation Paul Bocuse to share his expert knowledge with as many people as possible.
Over the following years, he continued to train young professionals and welcome clients to his restaurant and L’Abbaye, committed to his long-standing values: working hard, sharing knowledge, taking responsibility for others’ well-being.
Generosity and loyalty
With his understanding of how to remove the superfluous for improved flavour and enhanced precision, reveal ingredients’ full potential and subtly pair them for the ultimate showcase, Paul Bocuse was both a visionary chef of nouvelle cuisine and the guardian of some of the world’s greatest culinary traditions.
He was also particularly generous in highlighting the skills of his peers and introducing the general public to the demanding standards of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France. This prestigious title is awarded to the very best in the business; the men and women who hold the title are allowed to wear a tricolour collar which indicates their incredible level of skill.
He was also the head of the large family he created, made up of the men and women he trained and his loyal friends. Today, on the banks of the Saône, his memory lives on in everybody’s hearts.