Nice 2022

Jeunes Talents Escoffier

Discover the participants of the 16th International Final of the Jeunes Talents Escoffier competition, who will meet on October 7th at the Lycée Paul Augier.

Paul Augier

The Ecole Hôtelière de Nice, over 100 years of history!

In 1914, the “École pratique de commerce et d’industrie hôtelière” was created in Nice, the 2nd largest in France after Thonon-les-bains. The school moves to the Villa Guiglia, the current site of the Centre Universitaire Méditerranéen, on the Promenade des Anglais. 1936: to meet demand, the new school moves to 144 rue de France. 1993: located in the heart of the Arénas business district, opposite Nice-Côte d’Azur airport, the new Lycée régional d’hôtellerie et de tourisme de Nice is one of the finest hotel training facilities in France and Europe. Some of the names of former students who are the pride of this establishment: Michel Rostang, Thierry Thiercelin, Jean Denis Rieubland MOF, Mickaël and Gaël Tourteaux, Alain Llorca, Christian Plumail, Philippe Faure-Brac MOF… It is in this setting of reference that the 16th international final of the JEUNES TALENTS ESCOFFIER competition will take place on Friday October 7, 2022. 7 candidates in Cuisine and 7 in Service will meet that day for a final judged by renowned professionals, recognized by their peers.

Principal Denis Ferault, MOF Maître d’Hôtel, du service et des arts de la table 2007, and his teams are delighted to be hosting the 2022 international final of the Jeunes Talents Escoffier competition.

Jury chairmen

Jacques Maximin

Cuisine Jury President

Jacques Maximin
MOF 1979

Topics Cuisine

“The Côte d’Azur from sea to land

The test will take place in two distinct phases:

– The first phase lasts 3 hours and 30 minutes and is called “Classic Cuisine”:

“Mediterranean sea bass stuffed in a puff pastry crust”.

You can accompany your “Mediterranean bass stuffed in a puff pastry crust” with: – a cabbage stuffed with ancient root vegetables, “CAPOUN végétal” style (a specialty of Niçoise cuisine) – a free-standing green cannelloni – a free-standing fennel-based garnish – a Hollandaise sauce – Guide Culinaire Escoffier page 33

A second one-hour phase “Contemporary Cuisine”:

o which will take place after the dish has been sent, to offer a small plated appetizer.

Denis Ferault

Cuisine Jury President

Denis Ferault
MOF 2007

Topics Cuisine

“Indian summer on the Riviera

Workshop n°1: La Table de Prestige
30 minutes Workshop n°2: Création ” Centre de Table ” Workshop n°3: Travail d’office confectionner 5 Smoothies Workshop n°4: Auguste Escoffier – Questionnaire en anglais Workshop n°5: Vérification de la mise en place et explication du thème choisi Workshop n°6: Restaurant Service Event Throughout the event, you must avoid/fight against food waste by
“Mastering the gesture”,
“Mastering waste”,
“Mastering water”,
and “Mastering energy consumption”.

The interpretation of these two recipes should allow candidates to give free rein to their imagination and creativity.

The candidates

Challenger Cuisine

Roman DubourgDiscover Roman
Anais EsteveDiscover Anais
Evelien Fiers SnoeckDiscover Evelien
Mateo GrignardDiscover Mateo
Ryo IkedaDiscover Ryo
Fatiha IkhenchDiscover Fatiha
Markus SchmidDiscover Markus

Challenger Service

Lea BardDiscover Léa
Discover Jennifer
Bo NarinnyDiscover Bo
Raphael BossertDiscover Raphael
Abdelaziz ElmartoubDiscover Abdelaziz
Lorenza PayetDiscover Lorenza
Ivan UzelDiscover Ivan

After a BTH at the Lycée Hôtelier “la Renaissance” in Réunion, Roman began his career at the “Carré des Feuillant” with Chef Alain Dutournier, as commis de cuisine, then at the “Monnaies de Paris” with Chef Guy Savoy and Nicolas Nguenn Van Hai.
Back in Réunion, he held various positions as Chef de Partie Tournant at the Restaurant Diana dea Lodge, then Chef de Partie at the Hotel Restaurant le Saint Michel and finally Second de Cuisine in two other establishments. Today, he is Sous-Chef Cuisine at l’Archipel, Résidence Hôtelière, and is taking part in the JTE competition for his own personal enrichment, but above all to represent his region, the Indian Ocean, his Reunion Island in a fine international competition, a competition which he believes will enable him to finalize a project to open a gastronomic restaurant with Reunionese flavors. Roman says he wants to distinguish himself through his culinary know-how and apply the knowledge and skills he has acquired throughout the various establishments he has had the honor of working in. He has loved cooking since he was very young, first with his grandmother, with whom he made Creole dishes, then with the chefs who put their trust in him.

Anaïs never doubted that she wanted to make a passion of her life, and that passion was cooking. From an early age, it was always clear to her that she belonged behind the stove. Born with a joie de vivre, this feeling has always accompanied her investments, whether personal, academic or professional. For the third year running, the excellence of the Institut Paul Bocuse’s Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Entrepreneurship program bears witness to her boundless determination. Thoughtful, persevering and rigorous, she admits that she really doesn’t like failures, but accepts them because they’re what make you grow! Why take part in this competition? Jeunes Talents Escoffier, for her, is a great name that embodies the values of this competition: high standards and rigor, sharing and transmission. After taking part in the regional and national selections, she is now in Nice to represent the colors of her country at the international level.
She is very proud to be able to take part, and it is with great motivation that she embarks on this event, which will be marked by many highlights, wonderful experiences and human encounters. “As Souleymane Boel says, “Every adversity in life is a way of learning to fight and excel. My uniqueness, the desire to succeed and the will to win will be the driving forces behind my performance.” She wants to carry out this competition with calm, concentration and application, because she knows that the smallest detail will have its greatest importance! So, of course, she’s going to fight for first place, but above all she wants to have fun and enjoy every moment of the competition.

Graduating from the Bruges Hotel School “Ter Groenepoorte” (Belgium) in 2018, Evelien considers herself a true gourmet cooking enthusiast. During her school years, she already started working weekends in various establishments, including “Restaurant Danny Horseele* in Ghent (Belgium) and Restaurant Fleur de Lin* in Zele (Belgium), where she still works today. Evelien is keen to take part in the competition because she believes she has what it takes to make her mark in the world of hotel and catering. She would also like, through this experience, to discover new contemporary cuisine or authentic classic cuisine, while experiencing “what everyone loves most: cooking, eating, drinking and, above all, enjoying”. For her, as the saying goes, “The most important thing is not to win, but to take part”.

Having begun his career with a Baccalauréat Professionnel Cuisine, Mateo was able to compete in the Meilleurs Apprentis de France Cuisine Chaude (Michel Roth edition) during this training. It was then that he was awarded the place of Second Best Apprentice of France in Hot Cuisine, with a distinction for first place in dessert! Following this competition, he was able to take part in the TV show Objectif Top Chef.
He considers himself very lucky to have worked in different types of establishments (community, brasserie, bistronomic, gastronomic, Michelin-starred).
Indeed, he was able to work with Johan Leclerc (MOF), Jean Coussau (Relais de la poste, Magescq**), as well as at the Château des Tourelles in Pornichet. He graduated from the BTS Management en Hôtellerie Restauration with a cuisine option this year, and is now interested in the world of ice cream with master ice cream maker Frédéric Guenand (Tonton Maboule). He sees taking part in this competition as an excellent way of developing his skills, abilities and knowledge. He wants to surpass his limits! After months of hard work and effort, he’s keen to see this magical experience through to the end, to open a new door and make way for even greater goals. Taking part in this competition is also a way of showing the world the importance of the link between the dining room and the kitchen. This competition reflects and highlights the magnificent professions that are part and parcel of the culinary arts.
For Mateo, hard work and psychological strength will be key to securing first place. “The desire to overwork and strive for excellence will be key to winning first place. Professionalism, excellence, creativity and passion are the four keys to success in the culinary profession.

With a diploma in cuisine, Ryo has been chef at the Hotel Nikko in Fukuoka since 2017, specializing in French cuisine. He decided to make his passion his profession, with a lifelong desire to pass on and the pleasure of sharing. After winning the Japanese Jeunes Talents Escoffier selection in 2019, he has been waiting since 2020 for the big day when he can showcase his talents in France in front of an international jury. For him, taking part in this competition will be a great international experience and will give him a broader vision of gastronomy. His strength in distinguishing himself in this international final? He uses Japanese cooking techniques and Japanese flavors. The combination of Japanese umami and Japanese and French cooking techniques will undoubtedly win over the jury.

Fatiha, a young cook at the Hyatt Regency Taghazout, holds a diploma in Kitchen Technology from I.S.H.R (Morocco), and loves a challenge! Extremely enthusiastic about the national selection, which represented an excellent opportunity for her, she won the Moroccan final and now wishes to extend her challenge by competing in the International Final.
For her, cooking is not just a job, but a real field of pleasure, a pleasure that increases when it’s a competition and the competition is there! She would like her participation to be the ideal opportunity to showcase her skills in the field. Her watchwords for standing out and aiming for first place: concentration and organization.

After training as a chef from 2019 to 2022, Markus has embarked on a butcher’s apprenticeship that will end in 2024. In his spare time, he says he enjoys sports and perpetuating the traditions of his region. Today, he wants to take part in the competition to honor Auguste Escoffier, who devoted his entire life to the development of cuisine. When he prepares for a competition, he realizes that his professional knowledge is not enough, and that’s why he wants to constantly improve his skills. And that’s where his pleasure lies: being able to practice his profession while having the chance to interact with other participants and cooks from all over the world, motivating him to do his best in this event. Honored to be able to represent Switzerland, his strong point will be his fast, professional work, and the presentation of his dishes, which he will do with pleasure, heart and passion.

Léa began her training in the dining room at the Lycée Hotelier de la Rochelle, doing her 1st internship with her current employer, Franck Putelet MOF 2018 and 2* Michelin.
After a stint with Arnaud Girem on the Ile d’Oléron (bib gourmand) and Benjamin Tourssel in Moirax 1*, she obtained her BTS MMR and decided to perfect her skills and specialize in sommellerie. Still in La Rochelle, she worked with Christopher Coutanceau 3*, then once she had her diploma, joined Franck Putelot’s team in Carcassone, her home town. With the aim of constantly striving for excellence in her skills and knowledge of the trade, and to highlight the special link between the kitchen and the dining room, Léa decided to enter the Jeunes Talents Escoffier competition with the same passion and rigor she had displayed from an early age.

Meet this year’s youngest contestant, Jennifer, who is taking part in her very first competition! Since 2020, she has been working at the Hotel Einstein in St. Gallen as part of her apprenticeship as a catering specialist. Now in her 3rd year, she sees taking part in the competition as an excellent way of preparing for her final exams! Jennifer would like to use this experience to put into practice what she has learned during her school career. The time invested in preparing for this competition has made her stronger and shown her that she can believe in herself!

A former student of an NGO in Cambodia, “Pour un Sourire d’enfant”, which provided her with food training as well as health care, Bo was able to obtain her diploma in catering and was lucky enough to work in one of the best French cuisine restaurants in Cambodia according to her, called Le Topaz. Bo is passionate about her profession and believes that one day the HoReCa industry in Cambodia will be known around the world for their cuisine. She sees this competition as an opportunity for her to evolve, and thinks it’s also a great chance for her to represent her country and showcase it so that the world can recognize that they do indeed have the skills to make beautiful things. She also hopes to learn from this competition so that she can take these experiences back with her when she returns to her country to share and develop with her colleagues. Bo believes in always doing one’s best, which is how she was trained and learned to work: always with passion. For her, winning or losing isn’t really what matters, as her only wish is to learn and grow in the same way as some of her older mentors, so that she can make a real contribution to helping her country and her company continue to grow.

Having just completed his service apprenticeship, Raphael first completed a 3-year work-study program at the Blaiche Resort near Zurich, then joined the Walsmansburg restaurant team as a chef de rang. Today, he says he wants to concentrate on the Jeunes Talents Escoffier and Swiss Skills competitions. He would like to take part in this competition because he has always enjoyed serving his guests and making them happy with good food and drink. Seeing them enjoy what he has served them is one of the best feelings for him. He would like to show his skills to more people around the world, and the competition is the best way to do this. His strength during the event to stand out and aim for first place will be his desire to offer the best to the jury, and his natural, calm way of doing things.

After passing his baccalauréat in literature, Abdelaziz decided to go into the hotel and catering business. A few years later, he graduated from I.S.T.A.H.T (Institut Spécialisé de Technologie Appliquée Hotelière et Touristique d’Agadir, Morocco) as a food service technician. Today, he works as a waiter at the Hyatt Regency Taghazout in Morocco. With 4 years’ experience in room service and bar service in various restaurants and 5-star hotels, Abdelaziz wants to consolidate his know-how and put himself to the test. And what better way to challenge yourself than in a competition, when you love challenges and surpassing yourself? His motivation, determination and organization will be his strong points in distinguishing himself and aiming for first place.

After completing a CAP Hôtelier at the Lycée Hôtelier La Renaissance in Plateau Caillou (St-Paul Île de la Réunion) in 2017, Lorenza continued her studies with a Baccalauréat Commercialisation en Restauration. In 2019, she won the final of the Jeune Talent Escoffier Océan Indien competition organized in Mauritius, and the following year began a BTS Management sandwich course, which she has just completed at an establishment in the south of Reunion Island in St-Pierre. During her apprenticeship, she held several positions of responsibility as chef de rang, Maître d’Hôtel and Assistant Manager in the restaurant business, where she was able to express herself professionally and lead a team. She is passionate about the hotel and catering industry and would like to take part in the competition to represent her zone, the Indian Ocean. She’s proud to be able to showcase the skills she’s acquired while taking on challenges. Her strength during the event is to stand out and aim for first place? The list is long! Her ambition, creativity, strong personality, perseverance, thirst for discovery and love of challenges and competition!

Currently in his3rd year of the Bachelor International de Management de la Restauration program at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Écully (Lyon), innovation and creativitý are the main traits of Ivan’s personality. He chose to specialize in the catering industry with the aim of later becoming an entrepreneur in this sector, which he is passionate about and in which he intends to achieve his full potential. For him, taking part in this competition is a real challenge, both personally and professionally. The competition enables him to respond to a project, decide on the direction of his proposal and draw on all his experience and ideas, while getting up close and personal with professionals in the field and building up a network in this sector. For him, it represents an intense human and professional experience, combining altruism, courage and creativity – fundamental values of the Institut Paul Bocuse, which he is proud to represent. The competition also gave him the opportunity to strengthen a number of skills and work on his areas for improvement. Cooperation, communication, product knowledge and organization are examples that have strengthened his know-how and interpersonal skills. His main strength during the event to stand out and aim for first place will be his creativity. Indeed, his passion for the world of catering at an establishment like the Institut Paul Bocuse has enabled him to discover the rules of the service professions and their evolution over time, as well as the new trends emerging in this sector. And that’s what drives him to constantly seek out new inspirations to delight our guests both gustatively and visually.