Nordics win top spots in prestigious French cooking contest

Advertisement

Advertise with us

HELSINKI - Nordic nations have swept the top four prizes at the world's most prestigious culinary competition in France, beating Gallic gourmet chefs at their own game in manifesto of Northern European simplicity and local ingredients.

Read this article for free:


or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Subscribe and receive a limited-edition Free Press branded hat or tote.

Digital Subscription

One year of digital access for only $205*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/02/2019 (2752 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HELSINKI – Nordic nations have swept the top four prizes at the world’s most prestigious culinary competition in France, beating Gallic gourmet chefs at their own game in manifesto of Northern European simplicity and local ingredients.

Team Denmark took the gold medal at the biennial Bocuse d’Or competition in the French city of Lyon last week ahead of Sweden, Norway and Finland.

Denmark chef Kenneth Toft-Hansen told Danish broadcaster TV2 that he had chosen theme “Flora Danica” for his dishes in reference to their local ingredients, including juniper and wild thyme found along the country’s coasts.

Kenneth Toft-Hansen, of Denmark, celebrates after winning the final of the
Kenneth Toft-Hansen, of Denmark, celebrates after winning the final of the "Bocuse d'Or" (Golden Bocuse) trophy, in Lyon, central France, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. The contest, a sort of world cup of cuisine, was started in 1987 by Lyon chef Paul Bocuse to reward young international culinary talents. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

In the competition’s grand finale of chef teams from 12 nations, France placed sixth — not having claimed a podium place since 2013 — and the United States ninth.Iceland, another Nordic nation, was 11th after having claimed a bronze medal in 2017.

The competition, often considered the Olympic Games of gastronomy, was started in 1987 by the prominent French “Nouvelle Cuisine” chef Paul Bocuse. He died in 2018 at age 91.

Kenneth Toft-Hansen of Denmark, left, celebrates on the podium with his commis Christian Wellendorf, center, and their teammates, after winning the final of the
Kenneth Toft-Hansen of Denmark, left, celebrates on the podium with his commis Christian Wellendorf, center, and their teammates, after winning the final of the "Bocuse d'Or" (Golden Bocuse) trophy, in Lyon, central France, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. The contest, a sort of world cup of cuisine, was started in 1987 by Lyon chef Paul Bocuse to reward young international culinary talents. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
Report Error Submit a Tip

More Stories

HSC weapons scanners effective, needed at other hospitals: nurses union

Carol Sanders 5 minute read Preview

HSC weapons scanners effective, needed at other hospitals: nurses union

Carol Sanders 5 minute read Yesterday at 9:57 AM CDT

The AI weapons scanners at Health Sciences Centre have detected close to 2,000 items since they were installed at Manitoba’s largest hospital.

From March 6, 2025 to the beginning of this month, a total of 1,973 items had been flagged by the scanners and identified for further review, Shared Health said this week.

Knives, Swiss army knives and other multi-tools, drugs, alcohol, box cutters, syringes and other injection devices were detected, it said. The technology set up at entrances to the adult and children’s emergency rooms and the crisis response centre is designed to identify a wide range of objects that may require review under site safety protocols.

But Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson said the technology isn’t available everywhere at HSC, and a sawed-off rifle was discovered in the adult ER earlier this month.

Read
Yesterday at 9:57 AM CDT

Oliveira shines in win over Redblacks, Collaros rocked again

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Preview

Oliveira shines in win over Redblacks, Collaros rocked again

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Yesterday at 8:57 PM CDT

It wasn’t a stellar performance by any stretch.

But at this point, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will take a win no matter what it looks like.

The Blue and Gold outlasted the winless Ottawa Redblacks 33-21 on a rainy Friday night at Princess Auto Stadium to improve to 5-4.

“It’s great to finally get a win at home for our fans and to go out and play a better game is very encouraging,” said right guard Patrick Neufeld.

Read
Yesterday at 8:57 PM CDT

Corroded Arlington overpass yields way for new hope of spanning urban chasm

Melissa Martin 6 minute read Preview

Corroded Arlington overpass yields way for new hope of spanning urban chasm

Melissa Martin 6 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

It’s an interesting quirk of timing, perhaps, that the end of two of Winnipeg’s most unlovely features are coming into view in the same few weeks. The rail lines that split the city in half, and the bridge that was built to tie it back together. The original problem, and the solution.

And in the confluence of those two ends, we have an opportunity to dream of what a better Winnipeg can be.

At a news conference on Wednesday, former federal transport minister Lloyd Axworthy laid out a vision for a rail line bypass that would remove more than 120 railway crossings from Winnipeg, route them through Crown and Manitoba Hydro corridor land south of the city, and reclaim 250 acres in the urban core for greenspace and development.

The next step is to focus on how to make it happen. Nothing of this scope comes easy. This new bypass plan emerged from a two-year feasibility study that Premier Wab Kinew had tasked Axworthy with back in 2024. Now, Axworthy will helm a new 90-day feasibility study zooming in on that route specifically.

Read
Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Men’s recovery home dedicated to ‘homeless hero’ Faron Hall’s memory

Scott Billeck 14 minute read Preview

Men’s recovery home dedicated to ‘homeless hero’ Faron Hall’s memory

Scott Billeck 14 minute read Friday, Aug. 14, 2026

Faron Hall never got the chance to begin recovery. Once heralded as Winnipeg’s “homeless hero” after twice plunging into the Red River to save strangers from drowning, Hall told St. Boniface Street Links executive director Marion Willis shortly before his death in 2014 that he wanted help for his alcoholism.

Read
Friday, Aug. 14, 2026

RCMP searching for missing 34-year-old woman

1 minute read Yesterday at 6:29 PM CDT

Police are asking for the public’s help locating a 34-year-old woman last heard from almost a week ago.

Tamara Stevens, who also goes by Tammy, was last heard from on Sunday last weekend and was reported missing Tuesday morning, said a Thompson RCMP news release Saturday.

RCMP and family are worried for her well-being.

Stevens is believed to be in Thompson and is described as 5'7, with a slender build and long red hair, said RCMP. She also has a piercing on her lip and was last seen wearing black T-Shirt featuring the Twilight character Jacob, pants and work boots.

Bombers manage to hand Redblacks another loss

Taylor Allen 7 minute read Preview

Bombers manage to hand Redblacks another loss

Taylor Allen 7 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:35 AM CDT

It looked bad. Real bad.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros made his return to the lineup on Friday night against the Ottawa Redblacks, and he was once again the victim of a blindside hit.

The one he suffered in Hamilton on July 5 appeared relatively modest in comparison and yet, it sidelined him for a month with a neck injury.

So when Redblacks linebacker Lucas Cormier came around the edge unblocked and hammered Collaros from behind in the second quarter, you could hear a pin drop inside Princess Auto Stadium.

Read
Updated: Yesterday at 8:35 AM CDT