Robert Cauchi has been chosen to represent Malta at the Bocuse d’Or Europe competition, a sort of semi-final to the Bocuse D’Or competition that is regarded as the ‘Formula 1 Race’ for Chefs worldwide.

Mr Cauchi, a former student at the Institute for Tourism Studies, will join participants from 19 other countries for the first edition of the Bocuse d’Or Europe that will take place every two years. Stavanger in Norway will pioneer this new event in July, 2008.

Mr Cauchi is employed by the Hotel de France in Jersey, C.I. in the capacity of executive sous chef.

Malta, Estonia, Hungary and the Czech Republic are the four new countries in the competition.

Among the 20 participating countries, those ranked in the top 12 positions will have the opportunity of enhancing their standing on the international scene by qualifying for the finals of the Bocuse d’Or to be held in Lyon, France, in 2009. Five nations, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden have already passed the pre-qualifications thanks to their performance in the Bocuse d’Or 2007. These will also automatically be admitted to participate in the Bocuse d’Or 2009. Malta can join them if it places among the first 12 in next July’s semi-final.