October 14, 2026
Gault&Millau has become the media partner of the world’s most prestigious culinary competition – Bocuse d’Or. All three finalists of the national round either currently cook or have cooked in restaurants awarded toques in this international gastronomy guide.
The world’s most renowned culinary competition – Bocuse d’Or – is returning to Slovakia. The national round will take place on October 29, 2025, in Banská Bystrica, and the finalists are now beginning their marathon of intense training and demanding preparation. Should they advance to the European finals, an even more grueling process awaits - one that will test the limits of their mental and physical endurance. In the previous edition, Slovakia qualified for the European and then the World Finals for the very first time, where the team led by Marek Minarič achieved an excellent 15th place.
“The goal of the national round is to select a highly motivated and talented team that can endure dozens of hours of preparation and training in order to represent Slovakia at the highest level,” explains Peter Duranský, President of Bocuse d’Or Slovakia.
Gault&Millau chose to support the competition because both organizations share the same mission: to foster Slovak gastronomy at home and abroad.
“This partnership is only natural,” says Michal Ondriš, Gault&Millau’s Chief Inspector. “After all, Messrs. Gault and Millau - founders of the guide - were the ones who discovered Paul Bocuse and together defined the Ten Commandments of Nouvelle Cuisine. Just as back then, Gault&Millau today continues to support innovation and emerging culinary talent. That’s what this partnership is based on.”
What Awaits the Teams in the National Round
In Banská Bystrica, three teams will compete, each led by a prominent name from the Slovak culinary scene:
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Andrej Róth, head chef at Hotel Residence Donovaly. Alex Beer will join the team as commis. The team’s coach will be Jozef Hromják.
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Patrik Pokrývka of Reštaurácia Sissi and winner of Gault&Millau’s Young Talent of the Year award. Viktória Orolinová will join the team as commis, and the team’s coach will be Tomáš Ševčík.
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Stanislav Opold, formerly of Semillon, and currently head chef at Bistro VINK in Nitra. Martin Gažo will join the team as commis, and the team’s coach will be Marek Mažec.
Each team includes a coach – an experienced chef who leads and mentors the team. The competition’s rules are extremely detailed and strict; any mistake costs valuable points. During the competition, the coach may only advise verbally and is prohibited from offering physical assistance.
All teams representing Slovakia will face the same challenges. Before the competition, they must undergo extensive training, develop their recipes, and prepare detailed visual plans for their final dishes.
“I often joke that entering this competition is like making a pact with the devil. Once you hop on this train, there’s no getting off - it’s a massive investment of energy and prestige,” says Vojtech Artz, President of the Slovak Association of Chefs and Pastry Chefs and Director of the competition.
“It’s essentially an athletic feat. From start to finish, the chef must know exactly what they’ll be doing every single minute—or they simply won’t make it. One moment of hesitation or a blackout, and it’s over.”
That’s why training is absolutely essential. According to Artz, previous teams completed as many as 40 full 5.5-hour training sessions in preparation.
Patrika Pokrývka's team 
In the national round, teams will be tasked with preparing two distinct dishes:
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venison with foie gras, red beet, cottage cheese, and hazelnuts
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sturgeon with curly kale, Granny Smith apple, walnuts, and celery stalk
Both dishes must be prepared within 5 hours and 35 minutes, and each must be served in 14 portions, either individually plated or on a platter.
Andrej Róth's team 
About Bocuse d’Or Slovakia
The Bocuse d’Or is an international live culinary competition open to chefs from around the world. Held in front of a live audience, the event showcases the latest trends in contemporary global cuisine. The competition emphasizes flavor and the joy of tasting, while also celebrating the diversity of culinary cultures.
The competition was founded in 1987 by legendary chef Paul Bocuse, who envisioned a high-level event that combined discipline, expertise, and culinary excellence. He imagined it as a festive, youthful, and modern experience - akin to a sports event. The idea was to bring together 24 talented chefs from around the globe to push their limits and prepare the best dishes they could—live, under the watchful eyes of a prestigious jury, an audience, and their fans.
Bocuse d’Or quickly established itself as the most important international cooking competition and a benchmark in haute cuisine. It has become the Holy Grail for young chefs hoping to make a name for themselves on the world stage and impress the industry’s most respected professionals.
Today, the competition welcomes chefs from 67 countries across five continents, all striving to promote their national gastronomy. More than ever, Bocuse d’Or is a global platform for discovering new talent, innovative techniques, and culinary heritage—giving even lesser-known countries the opportunity to shine on the world gastronomic map.
Stanislav Opold's team
