Alumni Gala: Le Cordon Bleu Paris honours its alumni and celebrates their success during the 2017 Alumni Awards

Paris, 18 September 2017 - Le Cordon Bleu, the leading Global Network of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institutes, is delighted to announce the winners of the first ever 2017 Alumni Awards. The competition took place on 18 September, during the annual alumni gala, at Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute campus, in the 15th district, alongside the river Seine.

After examining the numerous applicants, in a closely fought contest, the winners are:

• Award for Best Media Profile: Dato’ Fazley Yaakob (Malaysia)
• Award for Best Business Concept : Tadeusz Kolodziejczyk (Poland)
• Award for High-Flying Entrepreneur: Bruce and Eric Bromberg (United States)
• Award for Best Business Concept in the Winegrowing Industry : Amanda Thomson (Great Britain)

Sitting on the jury were:

• Mrs. Estelle Touzet, Sommellerie Manager at the Ritz Paris Hotel
• Mr. Jérôme Chaucesse, One of the Best Craftsmen in France (Meilleur Ouvrier de France - MOF), Pastry Chef at the Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel
• Mr. Alain Pégouret, Executive Chef, Laurent Restaurant, 1 star in the Michelin Guide
• Mr. Éric Briffard, One of the Best Craftsmen in France (Meilleur Ouvrier de France - MOF), Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute Executive Chef and Culinary Arts Director

The 2017 alumni gala brought together around 200 alumni, from a variety of Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute programmes and graduating classes. The participants gathered for an evening charged with energy and emotion. The main surprise of the night was the presence of Mr. Ernesto Paolucci – an American alumnus, from Boston, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Paris in 1949. He was in the same class as Julia Child (1912 - 2004), a leading ambassador of French cuisine in the United States and a famous television presenter, at a time when it was possible to study at the Institute as part of the G.I. Bill.

The alumni enjoyed a cocktail dinner party prepared by the Chef Instructors. Numerous alumni, several of whom have opened a restaurant in Paris, also provided an array of their delicious creations for guests to sample, including: Christian Abégan (Cameroon), Amanda Bankert Scott (United States), Pierre Dutaret (France), Bao Feiyue (China), Christina Huang (Taiwan), Luis Machado (Venezuela) and Renata Portasio (Brazil).

The Chefs and the entire Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute team were delighted to have the opportunity to spend the evening with our French and international alumni. The success of Le Cordon Bleu graduates is a guarantee of the quality of the education available at its institutes around the globe.

Photos: Stéphane Laure

Special thank you to our partners for this event