Chassieu (France) (AFP)

"He is really coming home," exulted the French chef, Lyon in addition, Davy Tissot, waving the Bocuse d'Or on Monday, a sort of world cup of gastronomy, marked this year by the health context.

"It's been almost 10 years since he came home. What I'm most proud of is that as a Lyonnais, that's huge (...) tomorrow I'll be proud to take him home in Collonges, to Paul Bocuse's hostel, where a plaque bearing his name will be affixed alongside those of the previous winners, Mr Tissot told reporters.

At the head of the French team, Davy Tissot holds a Michelin star at Saisons, the application restaurant of the Paul Bocuse Institute, located in Ecully in the Lyon area.

France thus won its eighth Bocuse d'Or after many years of successive disappointments.

The previous victory was in 2013.

In the stands, after a calm morning, the French, Italian and Swedish supporters gave their voice shortly before the awards ceremony, gradually reviving the effervescence of previous editions.

Food blogger Mercotte, wearing a blue-white-red scarf around her neck, encouraged a "very good candidate, who is Meilleur Ouvrier de France and therefore used to competitions".

According to the Lyon chef Christian Têtedoie, member of the Organizing Committee, the new "take away" test proposed for this first edition of the competition since the health crisis, has aroused "a lot of concern on the part of the candidates", for some "jostled".

"It is a + take away + of luxury", specifies the chef, underlining the "incredible imagination" of the candidates.

- "Tomato candy" -

In addition to the traditional plate around the beef chuck, this new event, where a starter, a main course and a dessert on the theme of the cherry tomato had to be offered in a "box", recall the rise of take-out catering in France. since the health constraints related to Covid-19.

The chefs await the results of the Bocuse d'Or 2021 prize, at the Sirha Expo in Lyon, September 27, 2021 OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE AFP

As a main course, the winning chef notably proposed a tomato completely stuffed with shrimp, accompanied by a juice of tomato shrimp heads, a virgin in basil oil and mushrooms from France and selected herbs.

For dessert, he split a "purple plum" tomato candy with a fermented and fruity tomato, a coulis of it, oil from the leaves and variegated flowers and purple oxalis.

"The level rises with each edition," said the president of the competition, Jérôme Bocuse, the son of the legendary "Monsieur Paul", who died in 2018. "Even with a simple product like cherry tomatoes, there are things extraordinary, "he added, praising the" creativity "of the competitors.

"In the Organizing Committee, our job is to always innovate, to think about trends (...) The take away was the only solution during the crisis and made it possible to discover slightly different techniques", considers the three-star chef and president of the organizing committee, Régis Marcon.

French chef Davy Tissot (C) and members of his team win the Bocuse d'Or 2021 ahead of teams from Denmark and Sweden, at Sirha Expo in Lyon, September 27, 2021 OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE AFP

The health crisis has led to a growth of + 47% in take-out between 2019 and 2021. 85% of professionals who have adopted it plan to continue, according to figures provided by Sirha.

Highlight of this final: the arrival of Emmanuel Macron, remained around ten minutes Monday during the tastings, after announcing some measures in favor of restaurateurs.

"It is important that a President has taken the measure of that (international competitions) because we are at the height of innovation", considers chef Serge Vieira, himself winner of the Bocuse d'Or in 2005.

The previous edition in 2019 was won by the Danish Kenneth Toft-Hansen.

© 2021 AFP