Earlier this year, freelance chef Oliver McGeorge was named Team UK’s new Bocuse d’Or candidate following a cook-off with two other hopefuls.
He will compete in the European Selection in Marseille in March 2026 and, if he places in the top 10, will progress to the Bocuse d’Or World Final in Lyon in early 2027.
Supporting him will be commis chef Stella Harris, the first woman to represent the UK in what is widely regarded as the toughest and most prestigious cooking competition in the world.
Born and raised in the UK, McGeorge has spent most of his career in France. After training at Lycée Hôtelier de Marseille, he worked at a string of multi-starred kitchens including Guy Savoy in Paris and Le Petit Nice Passedat in Marseille.
He is currently splitting his time between Clare Smyth’s new Cornucopia restaurant in Chelsea and preparing for the competition at The TasteLab at Classic Fine Foods.
We caught up with him to talk about training in France, preparing for the Bocuse d’Or, and the pressure of competing on the world stage.
Bocuse d’Or is a notoriously tough competition. Why put yourself through it?
For me it’s about pushing myself and seeing how far I can go. Having worked in France, I know how prestigious the Bocuse d’Or is. It’s completely different to restaurant cooking or other competitions. It’s a huge challenge, which is exactly what excites me. Securing the spot feels incredible. It’s a big deal, and a lot of former colleagues and chefs have been really supportive. My parents worked in the industry too, so they’re very proud.
How are you preparing?
I’m based at The TasteLab in London. I work two days a week for Clare Smyth and spend the rest of my time developing dishes. We’re still in the early creative phase - testing ideas, trying different produce and seeing what direction feels right. Closer to the competition, I’ll stop working in the restaurant and move to full-time run-throughs.
What’s it been like working with Clare Smyth?
Clare is president of Team UK and offered me two days a week at Cornucopia to help with development. It only opened the other day so it’s early days, but it’s great to be part of the launch. My focus, though, is the competition.
Can you explain how the competition works?
There are two main parts. First is the plated theme, which will be announced in December. We’ll need to produce 14 identical plates, usually based around a set protein with a couple of garnishes. The brief changes every cycle, and this year there’s a good chance it might be vegetarian. The second is the platter, for which the Bocuse d’Or is famous. We’ll present seven stuffed pieces of gurnard - each serving two people - along with a chickpea garnish using as much UK produce as possible. There’s also an artichoke garnish and a sea urchin-based sauce.
Tell us about the 10-minute test
It’s a new element this year. At some point during the cook, we’ll have to pause everything and complete a 10-minute skills test. We’ll get the full brief about a month beforehand. It should be an exciting twist.
How do you plan to handle the pressure?
By sticking to the training. We’re lucky to have a facility that’s exactly the same size and set-up as the competition kitchen, so it becomes muscle memory. The goal is to repeat what we’ve done a hundred times and not get overwhelmed by the event- which is easier said than done.
Your former colleague Maxence Baruffaldi is representing France in the competition. How does that feel?
It makes for a fun storyline and we’ll probably laugh about it afterwards, but day to day it doesn’t change much for me. I’m focused on what we’re doing and where that takes us.
Tell us a bit about your background
I started cooking with my parents to earn some money, then entered a school cooking competition that I won. My French teacher heard I wanted to be a chef and her mum worked at a catering college in France, so she encouraged me to go. I moved to France at 16 after my GCSEs, trained for three years, then worked at Le Petit Nice Passedat for another three. After that I moved to Paris for six years. I was most recently head chef at Greg Marchand’s original Frenchie restaurant in Rue de Nil. For the past 18 months I’ve been travelling, doing residencies and pop-ups -mainly because until then I’d worked a lot and barely seen the world. Then the Bocuse d’Or opportunity came up, and here we are.
Which chefs or kitchens shaped your approach to cooking?
Le Petit Nice Passedat had the biggest impact. That’s where I learned what it truly means to respect produce. There’s good produce and exceptional produce, and the way you treat it matters. I learned not to overcomplicate things and focus on flavour, not flashy techniques. But I’ve taken something from every chef I’ve worked with.
As a freelance chef, what are the perks and challenges?
The perks are travel, freedom and being able to cook in amazing places. The downside is needing to plan ahead - you have to be organised. I only intended to freelance for a year or two, which is what I’ve done, and after the competition I don’t plan to continue freelancing long-term.
What drew you to working in France?
Anyone who gets into fine dining quickly realises how central France is to that world. So many top British chefs trained there. When the opportunity came up, I couldn’t say no. At the top end, French and British kitchens are actually quite similar. Many British chefs are French-trained, and the focus on produce is the same in any two- or three-star kitchen.
Personality often gets overlooked - some chefs become a bit robotic. I want to stay true to who I am
Have you had involvement with cooking competition before?
Only once, when I was about 14 or 15, in the Rotary Young Chef of the Year competition. It’s nothing like the Bocuse d’Or, obviously, but doing it is what led my teacher to suggest I go to France.
Who is your commis chef?
Stella Harris from The Savoy Grill. The commis selection was two weeks ago with six candidates, and she was the clear standout. She is the first woman ever on the UK cooking team. It’s a great milestone, but she wasn’t chosen because she’s a woman - she was chosen because she was the best candidate. I’m proud to be working with her, but gender wasn’t the deciding factor.
What qualities does a chef need for the Bocuse d’Or?
Creativity, discipline and personality. Personality often gets overlooked - some chefs become a bit robotic. I want to stay true to who I am, not fit into a generic mould.
What result are you hoping for?
A podium finish for Team UK is a realistic goal. We’ve had candidates finish fourth a few times, so we’re close. Obviously the dream is to go all the way - there’s no reason we can’t. My experience in France definitely helps, and because I haven’t been directly involved in the competition before, I bring a fresh perspective. I have my own way of cooking, which I’ll adapt to the Bocuse d’Or style, but not lose completely.
And beyond the competition?
In the future I’d love to open my own restaurant and aim for awards. But for now, everything is about March. So far in my career things have fallen into place, so I’ll keep believing that and see where it takes me.