the anteroom of the stars with a hell of a jury

Rarely does a competition bring together so many starred chefs, best workers in France (MOF), but also restaurateur chefs, caterers and charcutiers. It was enough to make your head spin and put stars in the eyes of the apprentices of the Groisy Campus who hosted the sacrosanct Masse trophy on Tuesday, November 12.

24 Michelin stars in the jury

Just the jury chaired by two-star chef Christophe Hay, with technical director MOF Alain le Cossec, included 23 chefs and 24 Michelin stars! To which, it was also necessary to add the buttons of the establishments worthily represented by the 5 candidates in the running, who represented the Grand Est, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Grand Sud, Paris-Nord-Normandie and Grand Ouest regions. And that was without counting the chefs who hastened to make the trip to Groisy, to greet the jury, the competitors, like Michel Roth and Danny Khezzar and confirm, by their presence, the stature of center of excellence of the training center.

Proof if any were needed that “the Masse trophy is a competition recognized, for more than 35 years, by the profession and an expression of the creativity of chefs around foie gras, the original profession of the Masse family house” explains Frédéric Mass. A trophy which acts as a talent revealer; some of the winners have since had great careers, teaches his wife, Sabine Masse. At random, we can cite the MOF ambassador of French gastronomy, Guillaume Gomez, Thibaut Ruggeri, Bocuse d'Or or even the MOF Tom Meyer.

Best Clerk Award

Hence a certain nervousness and pressure among the 5 candidates, selected for the national final at the Groisy Campus, following a selection, first on file, then on “exhibit” during regional selections. Including Yohan Jacquet from Hameau Albert-1er in Chamonix. And, a state between stress and admiration for the 5 apprentice clerks from the Campus who masterfully assisted the competitors. A prize for “Best Clerk” was also awarded to Ambre Juppet (alternating at Café Terroir in Lyon), and loud applause from the apprentice masters (who had made the special trip from Yvoire, and “Les jardins du Léman “) came to salute the performance of Pauline Hoarau, clerk to Arthur Debray, big winner of the 16th edition of the Masse trophy.

A recognition that went straight to the heart of the Campus Director, Magali Ceste, who, moved, urged all the leaders present to take care of “this inestimable resource that these young people are; some have been thrown around by life and yet they have been at work since this morning. Their commitment must be applauded. This is our duty and our future.”