The months of preparation were over.

The final practice had been held and all the critics said that the food was the best ever. The press had been invited – it snowed of course! – the pre-competition stories had been written, the TV interviews finished and the photographs displayed. Everyone had a signed poster and knew all about Bocuse d’Or – how it was the ultimate international culinary competition, held every two years in Lyon, France and how Canada was itching to, at last, get on the podium. The Canadian hockey jerseys with “Jaeger 07’ prominently displayed on the back were hot off the press, ready to be taken by the Pear Tree staff and given to every cheering Canadian fan who had ventured to Lyon. All the necessary equipment had been gathered from a multitude of sources, catalogued for customs, packed in crates and shipped by cargo to Lyon airport. Specific food items had been carefully selected, weighed and measured and placed in styrofoam boxes to travel with the team. The vital tools and molds were counted and recounted before closing the suitcases for the final time.

Scott and Stephanie Jaeger served their last customers and went home to complete their packing and make the final preparations for an event that had controlled every moment of their lives since Scott had won the Canadian Selection Competition in Charlottetown in 2004. It seemed that all of the clients of the Pear Tree had been served halibut or guinea fowl in some form or other since the key ingredients had first been announced by Paul Bocuse at the end of the 2005 competition. Scott’s quest to be the best had taken all of his time and his final menus had metamorphosized over many months of practice and experimentation.

 Likewise the methods of working - When the restaurant was renovated, Scott purchased the same model of oven that he would be using in the Lyon kitchen. His practice sessions were always held in a space designed around the Lyon kitchen floor plan. The platters upon which the food would be displayed had been designed to ensure the ultimate visual impact while still keeping the food as warm as possible during the long walk across the stage. A local manufacturer had been hired to perfect the design and craft the frame.

Yes, Scott and his apprentice, Brody White, had worked solidly on getting ready for Bocuse d’Or holding monthly and sometimes weekly practices – exhausting marathons – five or six  hours of concentrated cooking – often following a full night of service in the restaurant. During the last few months they realized that they needed to have more endurance and energy – they needed to be very physically fit – so they hired a trainer who made them sprint around the park in the rain and do push ups and lift weights in the snow. They talked with a sports psychologist who gave them the necessary tools to deal with the pressure that they would surely face in Lyon. Now they were ready – they were pumped for Lyon!

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I suppose we should have known that we were in for trouble when Michael Noble’s suitcase failed to show up in Vancouver after the short non-stop trip from Calgary!! After berating WestJet, it did arrive on the next flight and was safely loaded together with 20 other bags and styros of food and small equipment on the British Airways flight to London. Scott and Stephanie, Brody and Michael, David Wong (2009 competitor), Bruno Marti, Vince Parkinson, John Carlo Felicella and Nick Versteeg - (the Team) - boarded the 747 together with Marco Baldissera, Eli Versteeg and Bernard Casavant (1991 Bocuse competitor) for the very cramped and bumpy flight to London. I was to meet them in London for the connection to Lyon.

Unfortunately, it was a very stormy day in England with gusts of up to 120 miles per hour – enough to shake a 747 practically off its moorings. The flight from Vancouver arrived late and it was a rush to make the Lyon flight – only to find ourselves sitting on the runway for another hour and a half.

When we arrived in Lyon, of course it was really no surprise that the only luggage which arrived was mine – boarded in London. The Vancouver bags were no where to be seen. With true French inefficiency, everyone had to line up to be interviewed by the one baggage agent on duty to list and describe their missing bags. We were told that the bags would probably be in on the next flight and would be delivered to our hotel that night. Small comfort when all you want to do is crawl into bed with all your important possessions next to you.

More French inefficiencies as three of us left to pick up the pre- arranged car rentals. By the time we had everything more or less sorted out, over an hour had passed and the rest of the group was passing out from exhaustion back at the terminal building.

At last we made it to our hotel and had a well deserved shower before heading to a local restaurant for a quick dinner. Walking in the door, we met the members of the Canadian Pastry Team who were staying in the same hotel. They were in good spirits as we made arrangements to share our cargo van and transformers and agreed to go and visit them at their practice location the following day. Robert Sulatycky – the Canadian judge – arrived from the judge’s hotel to join us for dinner and we proceeded to order from the menu. The strong smell of fresh paint indicated that the restaurant had barely been open for a few days – and unfortunately the service and the food bore testament to this fact! However, we all ate and then retired to the hotel for sleep. Just as we got back, a car drove up and deposited 10 of the 20 missing suitcases – there were some sighs of relief as the food styros and new underwear arrived but vital equipment and other bags were still missing – we would have to check again tomorrow.

The next morning everyone had their jobs to do. Scott and Brody went off with Michael and the rest of the group to visit Les Halles – the beautiful market in Lyon. Scott and Brody had yet to cook with the prime ingredient – poulet de Bresse – a specially bred chicken unique to the Lyon area and totally unavailable in Canada. They went off to the market to find out what was available and to choose fresh vegetables for their garnishes. Meanwhile J. C., Marco, Bruno (as the ultimate French translator) and I headed back to the airport, this time to pick up the cargo truck and to retrieve the cargo from Schenker – the cargo handler. Once again, what we anticipated would take an hour to accomplish ended up taking almost four, but we eventually had all the paperwork completed and the cargo loaded and delivered to the school where Scott and Brody were to practice and make their final arrangements.

The Lycee Helene Boucher is a technical school on the outskirts of Lyon with facilities similar to Vancouver Community College. Canadian pastry team candidates, Dominique and Cindy Duby, had first worked there when they competed in 2001. Since then Bocuse d’Or Canada has developed a great relationship with the president and staff of the college. This time, we were shown to a brand new teaching kitchen and told that it was ours to work in for as long as we wished. Next we were introduced to the Norwegian Pastry Team who were working in the kitchen next door and then all of us were hosted for a wonderful lunch of lapin a la moutarde – very French and very good!

We began the task of breaking down the cargo before Scott and the rest of the team arrived to unpack some of their food boxes and get everything put away in the refrigerators.

Prior to our arrival, we had asked the school to order fresh halibut, king crab and poulet de Bresse and the deliveries arrived that afternoon allowing Scott and Brody to schedule final practices over the next couple of days. The usual shopping list was compiled and a group of us headed to the local CarreFour to load up the grocery carts. It should be mentioned at this point that this store is, in my estimation, ten times the size of the largest Costco that I have ever been in – there are over 120 check-outs and the cashiers whiz passed you on rollerblades as they move from one to the other. It sells everything you can think of – if you can find it! Looking for aerosol canisters and padlocks amidst the oranges and 200 types of yogurt is not easy especially when you don’t speak the language! The group did eventually meet up at the prearranged spot and managed to acquire most of what was requested.

On the return to the hotel, we called in to see the Pastry Team who was practicing at the bakery of Chef Piallasson. They were keen to show us their work and we were glad to renew friendships.

David Wong and Bruno were team chefs – previous trips to Lyon had shown that it was a city where many visitors are prone to coming down with gastro intestinal afflictions so we had chosen a hotel with cooking facilities where we could cook for ourselves and know that what we ate was safe. The menu for that evening was full of fresh vegetables, meats and fish and the hotel hallways were filled with the aromas of fresh herbs and bubbling sauces.

Bad news at the front desk - no more bags had arrived. Michael, Bernard and I decided to forgo dinner and travel up to the airport, once again, to see what could be found. After eventually fighting our way into the baggage handlers’ office, we were greeted by a very morose agent who did not seem to wish to give us the time of day. Apparently, 1800 bags had been lost in London the day before, no one knew where they were, London wasn’t talking to Lyon and vice versa and who knew if or even when the bags would arrive. But she thought that a couple of bags were on their way to the hotel but which ones? She didn’t know!

After a telephone call to the hotel it was determined that yes, two more bags had arrived. The next London flight was due in at 10.30pm – we decided to wait and check the baggage belt for ourselves! With thoughts of the great dinner that we were missing at the hotel, the three of us found an airport restaurant that served reasonable food and decided to make to make the best of a bad situation.

At 11.30pm we stood by the belt as the baggage was offloaded. Joy of joys – the most critical equipment boxes and a few more suitcases arrived. There was much celebration and relief as we relayed the news to the hotel.

On Saturday we heard the news that David Wong was down with the Lyon stomach bug and was confined to his room with fever and vomiting. We dosed him up with whatever medication we could find and left him to recover. At breakfast we were introduced to the group from Earls who had flown in the day after the team arrived. They were very excited to be part of the Canadian contingent and promised to be excellent cheer leaders! Scott and Brody, Bruno, Nick and I left shortly afterwards to go to the school for practice while the rest of the group joined Michael and the Earls people for another tour of Les Halles.

Navigating the unknown streets of Lyon, we found ourselves outside the Pastry Team bakery once again so we were able to go inside to wish them the best of luck in their competition the following day. Then on to the Lycee Helene Bouchard where we dropped everyone off before taking one more trip back to the airport to try to find the final three bags. No success – David Wong, Michael Noble and JC would have to wear the same clothes for another day!

At the school, Scott and Brody began practicing on their fish component. The rest of the day was spent unpacking, testing equipment and shopping (again!). JC and I did one more airport run, found one more bag and then met the rest of the group at the Brasserie George for a fun evening of dinner and friendship.

On Sunday, some of the group headed up to Eurexpo to watch the pastry team as they competed on the first day of competition. It was a grueling day for them – a team of three pastry chefs from each country take part in 9 hours of competition. They must prepare desserts, a chocolate cake and an ice cream cake – all of which are tasted by the judges – and then display the same on a chocolate carving, a sugar piece and an ice carving depicting a theme. Canada’s theme was “Pirates of the Caribbean” and all was going well until just before the display, their chocolate piece broke. The intensity and attention to detail shown by all of the teams is incredible to watch and makes for a spectacular show.

The core Bocuse group remained at the school continuing to practice and finalize all the preparations. There was plenty of help – Scott’s entire staff from the Pear Tree had arrived the day before and were there to assist in whatever way they could.

That night the whole team took over the coffee shop in the hotel as JC, Marco and Bruno prepared a fabulous dinner from food procured that morning in a local street market.

On Monday, some went to the show, others shopped and the core group headed for the school. Unfortunately it was JC’s turn to succumb to the Lyon plague – at this point we were very anxious to keep Scott and Brody as healthy as possible so like David before him, he was confined to his bed and left to recover! Late Monday afternoon, Scott, Brody and Michael attended a competitors’ information meeting before being transported up to Eurexpo to view their kitchen and watch Robert Sulatycky be selected to the Fish Jury for the competition. The remainder of the group headed back into town, found a place for a quick dinner and then returned to their hotels for sleep.

Tuesday was the first day of the Bocuse competition and Robert began the arduous task of judging and tasting 24 dishes of halibut! New rules introduced this year, whereby the countries that finished in the top ten in 2005 would cook on the second day in 2007, meant that Scott would be in kitchen 8 on day two. However, it was decided that it might be a good idea to try to get backstage on day one to see how the kitchens were being set up. JC (now on his feet again!) Bruno and Marco donned their whites at 5 o’clock in the morning and went to survey the situation.

The rest of the day was spent packing equipment and loading the cargo truck before heading for Eurexpo. As soon as Tuesday’s competitors were finished, the equipment team was in the kitchen setting it up just the way that Scott had planned. Food was stored, electrical gear plugged in and tested and everything put in its place. Satisfied that all was as it should be, the team headed back to the hotel for a late dinner and final chat with Robert in the restaurant next door. (The service was even worse this time but nobody really cared!) Details on who was to be where and at what time the following morning were worked out and we all headed for bed.

When we had first arrived in Lyon the weather was balmy and short sleeved shirts were all that was needed. Everyone was cursing the quilted Bocuse d’Or Canada team jackets procured for the core team! Tonight it was snowing. The temperature had plummeted about 20 degrees and the salt trucks were out all over the city. Not a good omen for the early morning drive to the competition.

The equipment group left for Eurexpo at 6am and managed to get backstage to ensure that everything was as it had been left the night before. Michael drove Scott and Brody at 7 and I brought up the rear with the rest of the group at 8. Scott was given his fish, crab and poulet de Bresse early in the morning but was not scheduled to begin cooking at 10.00am. Competitors are started every 10 minutes to allow for the platters to come out to the judges at intervals. The waiting was the hardest part – journalists and TV cameras were all over the place, Paul Bocuse made a grand entrance and introduced himself to each of the competitors while outside in the stands, we tried to reserve a whole section of seats in front of Kitchen 8. The fans were arriving and donning their hockey jerseys, Canadian flags were in abundance and Thomas Haas began getting the group cheer going. By 9am the noise was already incredible – Scott said it sounded as if the whole crowd were trying to get into his kitchen – and at 10.00am they were off! JC, Marco and David remained back stage for as long as they could – just as well, since Brody could not find his potatoes and Marco had to “find” some in a backstage refrigerator! The rest of us took our places in the stands and in the press pit. Once there, it was impossible to move. With all the big countries – France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, – all competing on day 2, the stands were full of noisy fans. Japan had chartered a 747 from Tokyo to bring their supporters and they were to be seen and heard rattling rice paddles in the centre section. Not to be outdone, the Swiss had their alpenhorns, the US their whistles and the Danes, who had arrived in a beautiful team bus with the candidate’s face painted on the back, had their voices! It was deafening!

At 12.30pm, “the show” began with the music, the advertising and the parade of judges. Tremendous applause erupted when the grand master, Paul Bocuse, arrived to greet the crowd. The French certainly know how to put on a good show! Switzerland was the first country to put out their fish platter and all Canadian eyes were on Robert as he tasted the food! Back in kitchen 8, Scott and Brody appeared to be on time and pulses began to race as the deadline approached. Then – their fish platter was ready to go! As it was lifted from the kitchen to begin its long journey in front of all the judges, the large screens displayed a spectacular video depicting British Columbia, Vancouver and Scott! Thanks to Nick we were able to make a tremendous impact – it brought a lump to the throat as the crowd stopped yelling long enough to watch! Scott assisted with the plating of his fish dish and then hurried back to the kitchen to complete the work on the meat platter that was to follow 30 minutes later. Platters were now being presented in rapid succession and it must have been a very difficult task for the judges to keep track of which country they were tasting! Scott’s meat platter was ready and again, another beautiful video clip to introduce Canada and Scott to the crowd. Canada erupted in cheers of congratulation and the two competitors waved and hugged each other in the relief that it was all over.

After the last platter had been tasted we were able to talk to Scott and Brodie and get their feedback. A few problems had arisen and they both admitted that it had not been their best day – but they had done their very best and had put their heart and soul into all that they had done.

It was to be a couple of hours before the awards ceremony began so the equipment crew were able to get into the kitchen to clean it out and to load everything back on to the cargo truck. The rest of us grabbed a quick glass of champagne and then headed back to the press pit for the announcement of the final results. It was an incredible crush and once in, there was no way to move. With TV cameras and journalists with giant lenses we were barely able to see the stage but we cheered loudly when Robert, Scott and Brody paraded out waving the Canadian flag. The awards began with China winning the Best Commis prize  –  from the looks on the team’s faces, I don’t think they really quite understood what was going on! – and the best promotion award, won by Japan. The Best Meat Platter(outside the top three) was also awarded to Japan and the Best Fish Platter to the major product sponsor, Norway. When Switzerland was awarded third place, I think we all realized that this was not Canada’s day. We watched as Denmark was awarded the silver medal and, - surprise, surprise – France the gold. The national anthem played, the confetti came down from the rafters and the fireworks lit up the stage. The French celebrated loudly and the Canadians tried to hide their deep disappointment.

Press releases were sent off from the very crowded press office and then it was back to work! All the equipment had to be washed, packed and ready for cargo that night so it was back to the school and all hands on deck. Scott, Brody, Stephanie and Robert, after many hugs of congratulation, left, somewhat reluctantly, for the competition banquet while the rest of us rolled up our sleeves and got down to work. With tremendous team effort and spurred on by appetizers cooked from a spare loaf of fois gras left over from Scott’s box, everything was completed by 10.30 and we sat down for a “gourmet” dinner of sausages and beer before heading back to the hotel.

Early the next morning, JC, Marco and I did the trek to the airport again to get all the cargo to Schenker for its trip back to Vancouver and to return the cargo truck to the car rental. Then it was off to the grand Paul Bocuse restaurant  in Collonges outside Lyon for a team celebratory luncheon. (This time it was Ely’s turn to catch the plague so she was unable to attend.) It was lovely to relax after so much work and there was much toasting of Scott and Brody and the rest of the team. After a few hours of sleep to get over the 3500+ calories we had consumed at lunch, everyone met at a local brasserie for dinner and drinks and the “real” party took place. Parents, friends, coworkers, Earls supporters, anyone who was Canadian – came to toast Scott and Brody and to recognize all the work that had been put into this competition. Speeches were made and glasses were raised (many times). It was a very, very happy ending to a great experience!

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Postscript:

Could Canada ever get on the podium in Lyon? Difficult to say. This competition has grown so much over the years that the status of winning is now huge. Looking at the other competitors this year it is no longer an even playing field. Countries such as France, Denmark and the other Nordic countries put in hundreds of thousands if not millions of Euros to compete. Their competitors are taken out of their full time jobs and trained by chefs from all over the world in order to win. French chefs and previous winners are invited to spend time in other countries training the new competitors. There is a great recognition of the competition in Europe and corporate and government sponsorship is huge. Prime ministers and Royalty are made aware of their competitors and become part of the entourage. The media coverage is massive.

We went to Lyon with barely $100,000.00 raised through a single sponsorship and some diligent fundraising. Scott ran his very successful restaurant all through his training for Bocuse. Food and equipment was begged, borrowed and self designed.

And yet, although perhaps slightly biased, I would say that Canada certainly won the top prize for having the best team and support – everyone worked so well together to make certain that Scott could be the best that he could be. Nothing was too much trouble. Whatever was needed was done. And we all had a wonderful time!

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Scott and Brody – what a wonderful experience, what a journey, what a competition, what a class act! For letting us all be part of it. Thank you!

Michael, the Bocuse Chairman, who has competed and assisted with so many Bocuse d’Or competitions and has seen it change from a small event attended by only his family to the huge international competition that it has now become – a huge thank you for pulling it all together. This was the best ever! 

Robert, our Canadian judge, an incredible chef and a great mentor – for all the traveling up to Vancouver from LA to help Scott and Brody through many of their practices, for all the support and encouragement and for being a judge that made us all proud – thank you!

Bruno, for the great mentor that you are, for your unending support, for speaking such excellent French, for always being there – and for some great meals! – thank you!.

John Carlo, for jumping in at the last minute to take charge of the cargo and the equipment, even though you are so busy with Team Canada -  and for being such an incredible organizer – thank you!

Marco and Bernard who came along as supporters but jumped right in to help with whatever task was needed. And for the many laughs – thank you!

Nick and Ely for a wonderful job with the filming and photography. We know that it will be the very best documentary. Thank you!

David and Vince, who came to watch and observe but who helped and supported us in thousands of ways – thank you – and all the very best as you prepare to represent us in 2009!

The Pear Tree staff that were always there throughout all the practices, offering advice and support whenever required. For organizing the support crowd and for just being around – thank you!

The Earls group who gave so much in financial assistance and who became part of “the team”, for your great company and wonderful cheerleading – thank you!

The family and friends that came from all over the world to cheer on a great competitor – thank you!

Suppliers, supporters, students, colleges, equipment builders, graphic designers, trainers, photographers…. For all the multitude of people who helped and gave to the cause – thank you!

And last but by no means least , Scotts wife and business partner Stephanie, who I know, put up with so much, was so patient with everyone and who was so gracious when things did not work out the way that we would all have wished. May you never have to eat halibut again! Thank you. We love you!

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Ps. In case you wondered, JC and David did eventually get their baggage just before they left Lyon.

Michael got his back too – it arrived on his doorstep in Calgary late last week!!

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Jane Ruddick

4 Feb 2007

And finally to recognize one more person who has given so much of her time and efforts over many years to Bocuse d’Or Canada and Culinary Team Canada all the while knowing that if Canada makes the podium that her true reward will be the joy that comes from seeing the success for her dear friends and colleagues – here’s to you Dr. Jane Ruddick!   Michael Noble