BMW designs competition hardware for the Concours Mondial de la cuisine
If this is a Concours, where are all the cars?
Every once in a while, something crosses my desk that is so far out there that even though it has very little to do with automobiles (although in this case it does), there is just no getting around writing about it. Such is the case today.
Earlier today, BMW announced that BMW Group DesignworksUSA had been selected by none other than Team USA to design and build the hardware for the biennial Concours Mondial de la cuisine. At first glance, the title looks as though this might be a car show that also involves some kind of cruising – like combining the (former) Meadowbrook Concours d’Elegance with the best of the Woodward Dream Cruise.
Upon closer inspection, however, that last word is not “cruising” misspelled, but the word “food” au Français (that is, in French). Say what?
Bocuse d’Or
It turns out that what we have here is a U.S. culinary team tapping the design guys at BMW Group DesignworksUSA to create “custom presentation platters” for the upcoming Bocuse d’Or, a biannual culinary event that has been likened to an Olympic Games for chefs (in this job, I learn something every day).
Since the inaugural event in 1987, the Bocuse d’Or has been held every two years in Lyon, France. Bocuse d’Or is part of SIRHA (an acronym with too many French words to understand and, besides, who cares?), which is, itself, one of the largest culinary art fairs in the world. Contests also include (you’ll love this) the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie (World Pastry Cup) as well as the Mondial du Pain – nothing to do with the Marquis de Sade, mind you, but French for the "World of Bread" contest.
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2007 USA Platter[/caption]
Custom presentation platters
But back to the platters: it seems that in addition to the actual food, a great deal of attention is also paid to the way the meal is presented. BMW puts it this way, “The platters will play a critical role in Team USA’s performance, as 40 percent of each team’s score is based on presentation.” In other words, it not only has to taste good, it has to look good, too.
“The presentation platters set the stage for the perfect culinary experience, and like every other ingredient, this detail requires meticulous attention and consideration,” said Thomas Keller. “BMW Group DesignworksUSA is an ideal partner, as they share Bocuse d’Or USA’s passion for the creative process and are similarly dedicated to excellence in their profession as artists.”
Just like the BMW Sauber Formula One car, there are certain rules that presentation platters must adhere to. Oval and rectangular platters are limited to a maximum of 43 by 27 inches, whilst round trays must be 35 inches in diameter or less – with said dimensions including the handles and base of the platter.
Currently, the design direction of the platters has been agreed upon between Team USA and BMW Group DesignworksUSA, with Bayerische Motoren Werke’s creative team in the final stages of the ongoing design process.
“Great food, like great design, is an expression of the creative process that requires dedication and passion together with inspiration and talent,” says Laurenz Schaffer, President, BMW Group DesignworksUSA. “There are many similarities between haute cuisine chefs and highly skilled designers on how to approach creative challenges that lead to most surprising results. When the opportunity to work with Bocuse d’Or USA came to DesignworksUSA, it was a natural fit for us both.”
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2007 French poisson (fish) platter[/caption]
images courtesy of BMW and Bocuse d'Or
