Marco van der Wijngaard Wins Dutch Bocuse d’Or Final

On Monday 23 September 2019, Marco van den Wijngaard from Michelin-starred restaurant ‘t Amsterdammertje* found his victory during the Dutch Bocuse d’Or final held at fair trade Gastvrij Rotterdam. He will represent the Netherlands during the European final hosted in Tallinn in June 2020. The past few months, five contestants have been preparing themselves for this prestigious cooking contest in which they will be judged by renowned Dutch chefs. Soenil Bahadoer, chairman of Bocuse d’Or Netherlands and known from Michelin-starred restaurant De Lindehof**, says: “This year, we added an extra challenge. The contestants had to present fourteen plates and a platter, which requires an outstanding performance in terms of technique, flavour, presentation and time management. I am in awe of these contestants, who show the culinary talent that we have here in the Netherlands.”

Prizes

• Overall winner: Marco van der Wijngaard, restaurant ‘t Amsterdammertje* in Loenen aan de Vecht (prize: Big Green Egg)
• Winner best fish dish: Menno Post, restaurant Olivijn* in Haarlem (prize: Jan van As cheque)
• Winner best meat dish: Micha van der Veen, restaurant Heeren van Harinxma* in Beetsterzwaag (prize: Van Drie Group veal cheque)
• Best commis: Yentl van Gilst

The Assignments
The board decided on a fish and meat dish as assignments. Additionally, the chefs also had to make four garnishes and one sauce. The contestants had five hours and 35 minutes to present fourteen plates of each main dish to the judges. The fish dish should bring prominence to vegetables and its plaice and Dutch shrimp were supplied by fish monger Jan van As. The beef tenderloin, chuck steak and oxtail for the meat dish were supplied by Nice to Meat. In their preparation, the chefs had to be considerate with regards to waste and reusage of leftover ingredients, applying a no-waste approach, as the judges take this into account as well.

New Element: Presenting on a Platter
This year’s Dutch final introduced a new element: the contestants had to present the meat dish on a platter, after which they could plate in front of the judges. This decision was made in preparation of the European and world finals, as this is a part of the contest in which contestants can up their scores.

The Way to Lyon
Now that the Dutch final has been decided and now that it’s clear that Marco van der Wijngaard will represent the Netherlands, it’s time to look forward to the next stop: the European final, held in Tallinn in June 2020. Those ten chefs that excel at the European final will get the opportunity to compete in the world final, hosted during trade fair Sirha in Lyon in January 2021.

Panel of Judges

The panel of judges was chaired by Soenil Bahadoer (De Lindehof**) and was comprised of:

• SVH Master Chef Soenil Bahadoer (De Lindehof**)
• SVH Master Chef Jannis Brevet (Inter Scaldes***)
• SVH Master Chef Jarno Eggen (De Groene Lantaarn**)
• SVH Master Chef Sidney Schutte (Spectrum**)
• Chef Moshik Roth (&moshik**)
• Chef Jan Sobecki (Tribeca**)

The kitchen judges were chaired by SVH Master Chef Marco Poldervaart (‘t Havenmantsje).

Bocuse d’Or Netherlands Finalists

• Marco van der Wijngaard (‘t Amsterdammertje* in Loenen aan de Vecht)
• Micha van der Veen (Heeren van Harinxma* in Beetsterzwaag)
• Kees Visser (Bij Kees in Zierikzee)
• Rob Wijnen (d’Ouwe Tramhalte in Duizel)
• Menno Post (Olivijn* in Haarlem)

Bocuse d’Or
Participating in Bocuse d’Or contests sets high demands for contestants. In addition to requiring enthusiasm and love for the profession, the contest also requires knowledge, experience, professionalism, organisational skills, persistence, and a massive drive. Bocuse d’Or Netherlands supports its contestants. This culinary contest, initiated by Paul Bocuse in 1987, takes place every other year in Lyon, bringing together 24 countries from five continents. This makes it more than a cooking contest: it’s an adventure that unites chefs from all over the world and leads them to greater heights. Every odd year, Bocuse d’Or Netherlands searches for potential contestants to represent our country. Bocuse d’Or is an international search for talented chefs and young potentials who will rise to any culinary challenge. Consider Bocuse d’Or the Olympic Games for chefs!