The winner of the 57th Prix International ArsNova de Cuisine d’Auteur (formerly “Le Taittinger”) was revealed yesterday at the end of a final featuring 9 chefs from different countries. Elected by a prestigious jury comprising, as every year, leading figures in the world of gastronomy, it was the chef representing Germany, Franz-Josef Unterlechner, who took first place on the podium, followed by Raphël Garel (France) in second place and Matthieu Maeder (Switzerland) in third. Discover the winner’s portrait below.
“I’m really happy about this award. It’s a great dream come true for me. I’ve reached a new personal milestone in my career,” says a delighted Franz-Josef Unterlechner, taking part in the competition for the second time running.
It was at the Lenbach restaurant, under the direction of Ali Güngörmüş, that the chef learned the basics of gastronomy. This was followed by Königshof, Bachmair Weissach Resort and Atlantik in Munich.
In 2019, he won the “Top Chef – Germany” competition, which put him in the spotlight. Since 2023, he has been head chef at the Schwarzreiter Tagesbar and Schwarzreiter Restaurant in Munich.
For the ArsNova Prize, Franz-Josef Unterlechner presented a dish based on duck, the theme of this year’s competition, around which the 9 chefs had had the opportunity to practice in the months leading up to the event. He also had to present an oyster-based starter, the theme revealed the day before the competition.
The prize was presented by Louis Dupuy Roudel, winner of the 56th edition, in the presence of Emmanuel Renaut (MOF, 3 Michelin stars and President of the ArsNova Prize) and the other illustrious chefs on the jury: Douce Steiner, Stéphanie Le Quellec, Dominique Crenn, Amandine Chaignot, Charles Coulombeau, Bruno De Monte, Pascal Grière, Bernard Leprince, Philippe Mille, Michel Roth, Bruno Verjus, Tom Meyer, Jonathan Zandbergen, François Adamski, Christophe Bacquié, Stéphane Decotterd, Louis Dupuy-Roudel, François Geurds, François Perret, Pierre Résimont, Kenichiro Sekiya, Michael Kempf, Michel Roux, Ulf Wagner, Lars Van Galen.
