Romania selects its first-ever Bocuse d’Or team this week

Romania is preparing to select its first-ever national team for the Bocuse d’Or, marking the country’s official debut in the prestigious culinary competition. The Bocuse d’Or Romania National Selection will take place on November 27 in Brașov, where five teams will compete over six hours for a single place in the 2026 Bocuse d’Or Europe event in Marseille.

Only ten European teams will advance from Marseille to the 2027 Bocuse d’Or World Final in Lyon.

Organized by the National Association of Chefs and Pastry Chefs in Tourism (ANBCT) - the only Romanian body recognized by Bocuse d’Or/SIRHA Lyon - the competition brings forward young chefs already distinguished in global contests such as the IKA Culinary Olympics or the Global Chefs Challenge.

Each team includes a professional chef, a commis born after January 2004, and a coach overseeing strategy and coordination with the jury.

The five competing chefs are Vasilică-Marinică Bejenaru, Bogdan Cozma, Emanuel Mocan, Laurențiu Neamțu, and Mihai Ciprian Necula, each supported by a dedicated coach and commis. Their dishes will be judged by an international tasting panel featuring Michelin-awarded chefs, former Bocuse d’Or finalists, and leaders of national culinary teams. The kitchen jury will evaluate technique, organization, hygiene, and compliance with competition rules.

With Romania entering the Bocuse d’Or circuit for the first time, the winning team in Brașov will carry the country’s culinary ambitions to the European stage in 2026 - and potentially to Lyon in 2027 for the world final.

(Photo source: the organizers, BOCUSE D’OR 2025 GL EVENTS)