Named after the late, legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, the Bocuse d’Or is a biennial world chef championship that has been running since 1987. In nearly four decades, it’s become widely regarded as the most prestigious culinary competition in the world. And it’s sometimes called the Olympics for professional cooks.

To be part of the event in Lyon, France, chefs must first be selected in their own country, then go on to rank as one of the top five chefs in their regional competition.

Last year, in the Asia-Pacific competition, Australia’s chef, the Canadian-born but Victorian-based Alex McIntosh (Sou’West Brewery) and his commis chef Tristan Spain (Vue de Monde) made the top five. And now they’re in Lyon ready to compete on January 22 and 23. The spectacular stadium event is staged in front of an enthusiastic live audience, industry icons and media, and has 24 countries competing – including Australia.

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In the run-up, we took five with McIntosh to chat about the path to the Bocuse d’Or.

What does it mean for you to be representing Australia at the Bocuse d’Or?
Although it sounds like a cliché, this is actually a dream come true for me. Way back when I was an apprentice in Canada, I worked with a chef who was competing in the Bocuse d’Or, and he offered me the position of commis chef assisting him. It didn’t come to pass and instead I moved to Australia with a wonderful woman who is now my wife, but I always dreamed of joining the world’s greatest chefs in Lyon.

I entered the Australian selection competition in 2016 but lost to an amazing chef, Dan Arnold, and I went to Lyon in 2017 to cheer him on. Now I’m lucky enough to have Dan as my coach, so it feels like all the stars have aligned at last, and here I am.

You’ve got a pretty impressive CV. Where have you worked over the years – and how has it prepared you for this moment?
I’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing chefs in great restaurants – at Cecconi’s, with Neil Perry at Rockpool Bar & Grill, with Jamie Oliver at the now-closed Fifteen Melbourne, and with one of Melbourne’s biggest caterers, Atlantic Group, as head chef.

When I moved to the Bellarine and Surf Coast region, I headed up the restaurants for Seachange Hospitality Group. Then, about two years ago, I joined the brand new Sou’West Brewery in Torquay as executive chef and they have been very supportive of my Bocuse d’Or journey.

What has prepared me is my experience in venues that have very high standards, and also large venues with big teams that require a lot of organisation. Competing in this event requires a lot of planning and logistics, and you also need to be able to handle the pressure.

What training have you been doing in the lead-up?
Basically, I’ve been training since the moment I found out I had qualified for the grand final! All my days off have been spent training either in my own kitchen at Sou’West or at the kitchens at Victoria University in Footscray. Often it’s been with my commis chef Tristan Spain, who is a chef at Vue de Monde, and sometimes it’s been with my coach Dan Arnold, who has a restaurant in Brisbane. Or other previous competitors such as Tom Milligan and Scott Pickett [a Bocuse d'Or jury member this year]. The team at Victoria University’s Hospitality School have also been very supportive.

Talk us through the dish that secured your spot in the grand final.
To reach the grand final I had to first be selected at the Bocuse d’Or Australia, which was held in Melbourne in February 2022. Then I had to compete in the Asia-Pacific qualifier, and be placed in the top five against other teams from around the Asia-Pacific.

The mandatory ingredient for the qualifier was tofu, so I took an ingredient that is less often used in kitchens here, and reinvented it to highlight Australian produce. I called it “Australian Black Truffle and Macadamia Tofu With Flavours of the Coast and Forest” – and it featured a delicate tofu made from macadamia milk and Australian black truffles, accompanied by four side dishes that featured ingredients reflecting my coastal home.

What are you thinking for the first theme, “Feed the Children”?
The first theme of the competition needs to focus on children’s nutrition and feature three courses that all include pumpkin – a vegan entree, a vegetarian main that includes egg, and a dessert.

As a father of two young boys, I always aim to give them meals that are flavoursome and enticing as well as nourishing, so this was an interesting challenge for me. I can’t reveal yet what my actual dishes are, you’ll have to wait and see!

Who are you most excited to meet at the competition? What are you excited for outside of competing itself?
I would love to meet Thomas Keller, who is part of the USA team. His book The French Laundry Cookbook really inspired me and introduced me to fine dining. I’m also looking forward to meeting all the other competitors – there is a real sense of camaraderie among the chefs, and I have been connecting with many of them already.

Outside the competition, I am excited that our team has a booking at Restaurant Paul Bocuse on our last day in Lyon. Although Mr Bocuse is no longer with us, his restaurant is still a dining icon and keeps his legacy alive.

The Bocuse d’Or runs from January 22 to 23 in Lyon, France but it’ll be live-streamed online. Australia’s dishes will be presented to the judges from 12.25am on Tuesday January 24; the winner will be announced at a ceremony starting at 4am.

bocusedoraustralia.com.au