Paul Bocuse

Life & Legacy

Paul François Pierre Bocuse (French pronunciation: [pɔl bɔkyz]; 11 February 1926 – 20 January 2018) was a French chef based in Lyon known for the quality of his restaurants and his innovative approaches to cuisine. Dubbed "the pope of gastronomy", he was affectionately nicknamed Monsieur Paul (Mister Paul). The Bocuse d'Or, a biennial world chef championship, bears his name.
After completing his formal education and fighting to liberate France, Bocuse enrolled in a culinary apprenticeship in Pollionnay with chef Eugénie Brazier. Under the guidance of some of the most skilled and experienced Mères from the Lyon area, he honed his skills in French cuisine. He then took over the family restaurant, L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges, to turn it into one of the most renowned restaurants in the world; from 1965, it held its 3-star rating in the Michelin Guide for a record 55 years.
Bocuse was one of the most prominent chefs associated with the then-emerging nouvelle cuisine, which is less opulent and calorific than the traditional cuisine classique and stresses the importance of fresh ingredients of the highest quality. However, Bocuse also criticised some nouvelle cuisine tendencies, stating "nouvelle cuisine was nothing on the plate, everything on the bill". Bocuse claimed that Henri Gault first used the term to describe food prepared by Bocuse and other top chefs for the maiden flight of the Concorde airliner in 1969.
Bocuse inspired the character of chef Auguste Gusteau in the 2007 animated film Ratatouille, directed by Brad Bird, the plot line of which was also influenced by fellow chef Bernard Loiseau's life story.