Le Cordon Bleu Wins the 2022 Prix Diálogo Award for Being a Leader in International Culinary Training

The 19th Edition of the 2022 Prix Diálogo Awards was celebrated this past November 7th, 2022. This yearly event is held to promote and foster Franco-Spanish alliances. Le Cordon Bleu and the Basque Culinary Center, the two institutions dedicated to the cultural diffusion of French and Spanish gastronomy, were honoured at this year’s ceremony.

Loreto Ordóñez, President of Diálogo, highlighted that “after 36 years of Franco-Spanish amity within the European Union, Diálogo, an independent public agency, has further strengthened its mission to create a space for bilateral Franco-Spanish relations and for independent, multifaceted and innovative dialogue within a European context.” Ordóñez continued adding, "our enthusiasm and our ambition to continue working on issues that affect businesses and citizens in Spain and France remain intact. Our aspirations are to contribute to the exchange of ideas and experiences and to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge also remain intact."

Rosario Barrios, Managing Director, and Chef Erwan Poudoulec, Technical Director of Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, received the awards on behalf of the Institute. Joxe Mari Aizega, Managing Director for the Basque Culinary Center, also accepted the award. When accepting this award, Chef Erwan Poudoulec noted that it was "an honour to receive an award that recognizes the commitment and efforts required to foster and disseminate the best of cuisine and hospitality, not just in Spain, but to all corners of the world." With more than 125 years of history and experience, Le Cordon Bleu has created specialized programmes in world cuisines such as Japanese, Mexican, Peruvian, or Spanish cooking. "Our hearts and minds are focused on developing gastronomy globally, beyond borders. It’s part of our commitment," said the chef during his speech.

A press conference took place earlier that morning at the Residencia de Francia, French Embassy headquarters in Madrid, followed by a cocktail reception, where Rosario Barrios spoke, highlighting that “innovation and research are part of the DNA of Le Cordon Bleu, along with honouring centuries of culinary heritage, which is as relevant to Haute Cuisine as it is to French cuisine.”