New Orleans & Company announces that the Americas selections of the Pastry World Cup and the Bocuse d’Or will be held for the first time in the United States in 2024. Sirha Food® and GL events, organizers of the international contests, are delighted for New Orleans to host the competitions and to be able to showcase the diversity of the gastronomy of the region.

On June 11-13, 2024, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will host the two continental selections of the most prestigious international culinary and pastry competitions, showcasing the best pastry chefs and cooks from all over the American continent.

“The Bocuse d’Or has a strong and close link with the United States,” said Jérôme Bocuse, President of the competition.

After a period of national selections, the year 2024 will be punctuated by the various continental selections of the Pastry World Cup and the Bocuse d’Or: Europe, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Africa.

These will begin with the European Selection of the Pastry World Cup, on January 21-22, 2024, during Sirha Europain®, in Paris. The competition will see 8 major European nations compete, including France, Italy and Belgium, and the 3 best teams will qualify for the Grand Finale.

On June 11, up to 8 countries from North and South America will take part in the Americas selection of the Pastry World Cup. The 3 teams on the podium will qualify for the Grand Finale which will take place during Sirha Lyon® in January 2025.

A new feature of this cycle will be an emblematic dessert of the country hosting the continental selections. The candidate teams will have to work around a staple American dessert, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

“The United States is one of the world’s largest pastry scene, from which many desserts have become popular and consumed all around the world, such as cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, or the Louisiana pecan pie. Being able to count on the hospitality of New Orleans is a privilege, but also a chance to highlight the varied culinary heritage of the entire region,” enthuses Pierre Hermé, president of the Pastry World Cup.

“New Orleans is a world-class culinary destination and renowned as a city where champions of all kinds are crowned,” comments Walter J. Leger, president and chief executive officer of New Orleans & Company. “We are honored that New Orleans has been selected as the host city for the Bocuse d’Or Americas and the American selection of the Pastry World Cup in June 2024, becoming the first city in the United States to host this event.”

Marked by its French and Spanish influences, New Orleans has a rich and varied culinary heritage that brilliantly reflects the diversity of its history and culture. Some of the most emblematic dishes to try are gumbo – a traditional soup inherited from Creole cuisine – and crawfish étouffée, a typical stew served with rice. As proof of the city’s rich gastronomic heritage, many local restaurants and chefs are honored each year by the James Beard Foundation, one of the most prestigious gastronomic awards in the USA. This year, New Orleans was also named Best Food Destination in the US by Tripadvisor as part of the 2023 Travelers’ Choice Awards, making this city an obvious choice to host these culinary competitions.