Article 1

Conditions of Participation

Le Best Chef Competition is open to any US based professional chef between the ages of 25 and 35 years old. The competition, organized by “The Culinary Academy of France / USA Delegation” is free and without obligation. If a juror has selected a candidate, he/she cannot be present to judge at the competition.

Article 2

Preselection

Each applicant must provide in a very neat file, original and creative recipes:

Each applicant must complete the full application wish consists of four required elements:

• Resume with photo
• The registration form
• The jacket size (Bragard)
• Detailed main course and dessert recipes with photos in color

THE APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST BY EMAIL: 

act.usa.secretary@outlook.com

Or on the website of the Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation: www.ACF.USA.ORG

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION WILL BE COMUNICATE IN TIME

Article 3

Assessment Records

The main evaluation criteria will be:

• Respect of themes
• Seasonality of recipes
• Respect of raw ingredients
• Compliance with the regulations
• Innovation
• Quality of presentation
• Originality

Article 4

Use of Products

For the realization of the recipes, the participants will use all themed ingredients on the application (amount mentioned in the recipe by the candidates) and present the recipes for 8 people on a platter for the main dish and on plates for the dessert.

Article 5

Cost

The total cost of the raw materials used for the recipes must not exceed $300 for 8 people for both dishes (or $37.50 per person), EXCLUDING THE COST OF RAW MATERIALS PROVIDED BY THE ORGANIZATION (see section 6).

Article 6

Raw Materials

During the finale, base ingredients will be available to each candidate:

• 2 liters of fresh poultry stock
• PM coarse salt
• PM Table salt
• PM Pepper
• 1 liter of canola oïl
• 1 liter olive oil
• Their use is optional.

Article 7

Ingredients and Materials Not Supplied; Preparations Prohibited or Authorized by the Organization in the Final

All specials ingredients, spices and specific equipment needed to achieve the recipe of the candidate, other than those specified above (see Article 6), will have to be supplied by the candidates on the day of the final.

Will be excluded all commodities having received any preliminary preparation such as:

• Peeling, cutting
• Deboning
• Trenching
• Baking

WHOLE FOODS MUST REMAIN RAW

Special equipment and food will be checked by the organization on the morning of the contest, any violation, transgression/cheating will be eliminated.

Truffles, caviar, gold leaf and sauce bases are strictly prohibited, except those provided by the organization.

Article 8

Candidate Selection for the Final

Applications must imperatively be submitted on the website, sent by mail or email before the deadline to the following addresses:

By mail at:

“CULINARY ACADEMY OF FRANCE / USA DELEGATION”

C / O SEBASTIEN BAUD

CONSULATE GENERAL OF FRANCE IN NEW YORK

934 5TH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10021

By email at:

acf.usa.secretary@outlook.com

Selected finalists will be announced a week after the deadline date.

Selected finalists will receive a detailed invitation (by email) to the finale .

Article 9

Food Basket for the Competition

Each finalist will receive a food basket for the final according to the proper recipes of each candidate.

Article 10

The Final

During the final, each finalist will be assisted by a student assistant from the host institution.

Each candidate imperatively has to bring a non-nominative white jacket, black pants, an apron, a toque blanche.

Article 11

The Day Before the Final

Each candidate must be present at the dinner on the evening of the previous day from the final  in a restaurant defined by the “CULINARY ACADEMY OF FRANCE / USA DELEGATION”) to determine the starting order and designate the workstation as well as the assigned student.

The Day of the Final

Each candidate will prepare their recipes for 8 people with a dressage:

• On a platter for hot dish up to 1 meter in length of 0.60-meter-wide maximum (the dish will be provided by the organization unless stipulate otherwise by the candidate), sauceboat and dish for the main garnish.
• On plates for dessert without distinctive sign (the dish will be provided by the organization unless stipulate otherwise by the candidate) and sauceboat if necessary.

The time of preparations shall not exceed 5 hours and 30 minutes.

• The first dish must be sent after 5 hours and 30 minutes from the start of entry into the contest by the candidate.
• The dessert should be sent 45 minutes after sending the first dish, so 6 hours 15 minutes after the start of entry into the contest by the candidate.

Article 12

Jury

The jury of this final will be chaired by the president of the World Académie Culinaire de France and MOF Fabrice Prochasson and will consist of nine professional chefs and pastry chefs (MOF chefs, and Presidents of Associations).

Article 13

Prize

The winner will be awarded the Jean-Jacques Dietrich Trophy, a diploma of The Académie Culinaire de France and numerous donations from our partners. The winner will also be offered an all-inclusive trip to Paris and the opportunity to participate in the Trophée Passion, an international competition organized by the Académie Culinaire de France.

Each finalist will receive a diploma and a medal indicating their participation in the final as well as many prizes from our partners.

The winner will have to be present at the 3rd final of “Le Best Chef Competition” to hand out the

 Jean Jacques Dietrich Trophy in 2024 to the future winner.

• 1st Prize: A $2,500 check and an allocation of materials and food products provided by our partners, related to the culinary world for a global value of approximately $3,000.

• 2nd Prize: A check for $1500 and an allocation of materials and food products provided by our partners related to the world of gastronomy for a total approximate value of $2,000.

• 3rd Prize: A check for $500 and a grant of equipment and food provided by partners of the exhibition, related to the culinary world for a global value of approximately $1,500.

Article 14

Membership of Participants

Participation in the competition necessarily implies unconditional acceptance of this regulation.

The jury’s decisions are final and cannot be challenge or appeal.

Article 15

Permissions Intellectual Rights

Participants expressly authorize the Organizing Association “Culinary Academy of France / USA Delegation” to publish and/or exploit the recipes of the application by indicating the name of their author, as well as all the images of the recipes and the candidates taken within the framework of this contest for an indefinite duration, on all support and in the whole world.

The distribution of the names, references and/or photographs of the winners does not entitle them to any financial compensation for their benefit other than the delivery of their prizes.

Article 16

Responsibility

The host association ” L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation” reserves the right to modify these rules if necessary.

It cannot incur any liability if in case of events beyond its control, it had to shorten, extend, postpone or change the conditions of the contest.

The host association “L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation” cannot incur any liability in case of technical problem preventing the connection of participants and resulting in the loss, delay, sending to the wrong address or incomplete registration data mail participants, either by post or electronically.

The host association “L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation” cannot incur any liability for any incorrect or inaccurate information whether caused by website users or by any equipment or programming associated with the organization of this contest.

The host association “L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation” reserves the right to change the prizes provided that the nature and values equivalent to those of the lots involved. The prizes awarded to winners are personal and cannot be attributed to another person. Winners must prove their identity in order to receive their prize. The host association “L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation” will not replace any lost or stolen prize.

Article 17

Refund

• Travel expenses (excluding food) of the finalists will be taken in charge by the host association “L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation ” on the basis of $250.
• The hotel expenses for the finalists will be taken in charged by the host association “L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation” only for the night of Friday, April 05th, 2024 & Saturday, April 06th 2024 in a hotel defined by the organization.
• All food expenses incurred by the finalists will not be taken in charge by the host association “L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation” except for the dinner on Friday, April 05th, 2024 in a restaurant defined by the organization and on the day of the finale, Saturday, April 06th, 2024.

Article 18

Law “and Freedoms”

The personal information collected as part of Le Best Chef Competition are treated respectfully. Participants are informed that their personal data recorded in this competition are necessary for the recognition of their participation.

Moreover, participants are also informed that all personal data collected at the Le Best Chef Competition are exclusively communicated to the association “L’Académie Culinaire de France / USA Delegation”, which manages and assumes full responsibility.

Participants in the competition thus benefit from the Organizing Association “The Culinary Academy of France / USA Delegation” sole recipient of the personal data collected as part of its present right to access, correct and cancellation of its gathered information on the contest on form.