Canadian chef James Olberg takes on the world at Bocuse d’Or
TORONTO — Focus will be the name of the game when James Olberg dons his chef’s whites for the biggest competition of his life.
He’s been fixated for months on gruelling preparations for the biennial Bocuse d’Or competition, slated to take place Tuesday and Wednesday in Lyon, France.
Olberg will be representing Canada and competing against 23 other outstanding chefs from around the world in an intense contest some call the culinary Olympics. The contest was launched in 1987 by Lyonnaise chef Paul Bocuse, legendary for innovation and the high quality of his restaurants.
Olberg has cooked across the country for more than two decades in such kitchens as the King Edward Hotel and the posh La Societe bistro in Toronto; the Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer, Alta.; and Queen’s Landing Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Most recently he was culinary director and executive chef of Glowbal Group in Vancouver, though he’s stepped down to prepare for the competition.