NEW YORK — New Orleans & Company has revealed the Americas selections of the Pastry World Cup and the Bocuse d’Or will be held for the first time in the U.S. on June 11 to 13, 2024 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, showcasing the best pastry chefs and cooks from all over the continent.
As proof of the city’s rich gastronomic heritage, many local restaurants and chefs are honoured each year by the James Beard Foundation, one of the most prestigious gastronomic awards in the U.S. This year, New Orleans was also named Best Food Destination in the U.S. by Tripadvisor as part of the 2023 Travelers’ Choice Awards, making the city an obvious choice to host the culinary competitions.
On June 11, up to eight countries from North and South America will take part in the Americas selection of the Pastry World Cup. The three teams on the podium will qualify for the Grand Finale which will take place during Sirha Lyon in January 2025. A new feature of this cycle will be an emblematic dessert of the country hosting the continental selections. The candidate teams will have to work around a staple American dessert, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
On June 12 and 13, the Bocuse d’Or Americas will take over the stage, with up to 12 countries competing. At the end of these two days of competition, the jury will qualify the five best teams for the Grand Finale of the Bocuse d’Or, also scheduled in January 2025 in France, during next Sirha Lyon. As a regular participant in these competitions, the U.S. has reached the podium six times at the Pastry World Cup, with a World Champions title in 2001, and twice at the Bocuse d’Or, notably with the victory of Mathew Peters in 2017.
“The U.S. is one of the world’s largest pastry scene, from which many desserts have become popular and consumed all around the world, such as cookies, brownies, cheesecakes or the Louisiana pecan pie. Being able to count on the hospitality of New Orleans is a privilege, but also a chance to highlight the varied culinary heritage of the entire region,” says Pierre Hermé, president of the Pastry World Cup.
“New Orleans is a world-class culinary destination and renowned as a city where champions of all kinds are crowned,” says Walter J. Leger, president and CEO, New Orleans & Company. “We’re honoured that New Orleans has been selected as the host city for the Bocuse d’Or Americas and the American selection of the Pastry World Cup in June 2024, becoming the first city in the U.S. to host this event.”
