In 1977, Alain Guillon of France became the first winner of the International Jeunes Commis Rôtisseurs Competition in Zurich, Switzerland.

What began as an opportunity for young chefs to test their skills on an international stage has grown into one of the Chaîne’s most exciting traditions. By bringing together young culinary talent from around the world to compete, learn, make friendships and, occasionally, to discover just how creative they can be when confronted with the dreaded Black Box!

In September 2027, the journey is coming to Paris
The 50th Anniversary International Final will take place on September 18, 2027, at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. What a fitting destination for this milestone! Paris has long been one of the world’s great culinary capitals, while Le Cordon Bleu provides a spectacular setting for the next chapter in the Jeunes Chefs story.

We are enormously grateful to Chef Eric Briffard and his team at Le Cordon Bleu for welcoming the International Final and helping us create what promises to be a very special event.

But the competition itself is only part of the story.

50 stories - countless careers
Looking back from Zurich in 1977 to Istanbul in 2026, one thing becomes clear: that the history of the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition is really a history of people.

There have been champions and competitors, nervous young chefs and exhausted judges, spectacular dishes and extraordinary Black Boxes.

There have been moments of triumph - and moments when a competitor opened the box of ingredients and thought: “What on earth am I going to do with THAT?”

The medal table tells only part of the story
For generations of young chefs, the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition has provided an opportunity to compete internationally, work alongside talented peers from other culinary traditions and discover what they are capable of under pressure.

For some, it opened the door to a new kitchen or mentor. For many, it created friendships that lasted throughout their careers. For others, it became the beginning of an extraordinary culinary journey.

A competition that has travelled the world
Over the years, the International Final has travelled across continents and through some of the world’s most fascinating culinary destinations.

The competition has been hosted in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. An impressive range of nations has produced international champions. Germany has collected the most Gold Medals, while Canada, France, Norway, Sweden and others have returned to the top step of the podium.

From the early European winners to champions from Australia, Finland, Hungary, Malaysia, South Africa and the United States the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs story has become truly international.

Fifteen nations have produced Gold Medal champions since 1977. And the next champion is still waiting to be discovered.

Beyond the competition kitchen
The legacy of Jeunes Chefs extends far beyond the day of the competition:
- Competitors become chefs.
- Chefs become mentors.
- Competitors return as judges and officials.
Friendships formed around a competition kitchen become professional relationships that cross borders and last for decades. That may be the greatest achievement of all.

The competition creates a community - one that continues long after the medals have been awarded and the kitchens have been packed away. And that community is exactly what we want to bring together in Paris.

Now we want to see you there
The 50th Anniversary is an opportunity for the entire Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs family to come together:
- Former competitors
- National organizers
- Mentors
- Judges
- Baillis
- Professional members
- Volunteers
- Sponsors
- Friends and supporters.

If you have ever been part of Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs, Paris is your celebration too.

We want to see the people who have made this competition what it is. We want to hear the stories, see the photographs and remember the kitchens, destinations, competitors, judges, celebrations and friendships.

And we want to discover where all those young chefs are today.

Help us tell the story
The International Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition Committee is preparing a special commemorative booklet, bringing together the people, places and stories that have shaped the competition from 1977 to 2027.

We want it to be more than a list of winners and results. We want to capture the people and memories behind the competition. So do you have:
- Photographs from an International Final?
- Photographs of former competitors, judges or mentors?
- Old competition programmes or menus?
- Newspaper or magazine articles?
- Stories about a memorable competition or competitor?
- A favourite Black Box story?
- Photographs showing how competitors’ careers developed?
- Memories of friendships that began through Jeunes Chefs?
- Information about former international competitors and where they are today?

If you have any of these items, please share them with us.

We would especially love current contact information for former international competitors. If you know where a former competitor is today or have an email address or other professional contact information, please pass it along. We want to reconnect as many members of the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs family as possible.

Please send photographs, articles, stories, contact information and other relevant material to:
Lois Gilbert, International Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition Committee, at [email protected]

Please look through your Bailliage archives, old photographs and personal collections. Some of the most wonderful pieces of Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs history may be sitting in a cupboard, an old competition file or a forgotten photo album.

Don’t assume something is too old, too small or too ordinary to be worth sending.

That photograph from 20, 30 or 40 years ago may be exactly the piece of history we are looking for.

And now Paris … 50 years after Alain Guillon lifted the first trophy in Zurich, the world’s young chefs will gather again.

The International Final, this time, in Paris, will bring together a new generation of competitors while celebrating the extraordinary community that has grown around Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs. We hope it will be more than a competition. We hope it will be a reunion. A chance for old friends to meet again. Former competitors to return. Today’s young chefs to meet the people who came before them.

Paris - September 2027
The world is invited! Come and celebrate Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs. Bring your stories. Bring your memories. Bring your friends.

Let’s make Paris the beginning of the next chapter. Be there and be part of history.

Lois Gilbert
Member, International Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition Committee
Bailli Provincial of British Columbia (Canada)

Ed. The photos in the Gallery show the 1-2-3 Winners or groups of competitors from the last 20 competitions 2005-2026. NB. A competition was not held in 2020 because of COVID, nor was there one held in 2025.)