A Young Lyonnais Crowned French Quenelle Champion at 18
There are those still learning how to cook pasta without it sticking together, and then there's Jules Pautal. At just 18 years old, this student at François Rabelais High School in Dardilly has just won the very first title of French Quenelle Champion. The grand finale of this one-of-a-kind competition took place this Monday, November 9, 2026 at the Paul Bocuse Foundation in Lyon. A wonderful victory for this young talent from the Rhône region, who has written his name into the history of a dish particularly dear to Lyon's gastronomic heritage.
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Seven apprentices and students from across France were in the running. Their mission: create a pike quenelle in three hours, complete with sauce and garnish. The plates were then blind-tasted by a panel of professionals chaired by double Michelin-starred chef Christophe Aribert, with notably Master Craftsman Joseph Viola as godfather. Technique, balance, creativity, and precision were the criteria for judging the candidates.
A pike quenelle that packs a punch
To impress the jury, Jules Pautal bet on a homemade pike quenelle, accompanied by a watercress sauce and his famous "surprise fleuron". Behind this rather mysterious name hides a particularly refined creation: a quenelle prepared from a fine pike forcemeat, panada and d
cream, first poached then baked in the oven. The result is served with a fresh watercress sauce, white wine, cream and chicken stock.
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But the real surprise lies in the flaky, golden and crispy puff pastry shell filled with frog legs, mushrooms and fresh vegetables. The dish is completed with button mushrooms, watercress oil and a few edible flowers. A plate that revisits the codes of traditional cuisine with impressive precision. At just 18 years old, Jules clearly already has some serious skills under his chef's hat!
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The podium of this first edition
Behind the young champion, Naël Bergerat, 18 years old, from the Maison Familiale et Rurale de Balan in Ain, takes second place. Lorenzo Royer, 19 years old, a student at the Paul Bocuse Foundation and SEPR in Lyon, completes the podium. A final that highlights a new generation of chefs and reminds us that the quenelle still has a bright future ahead.
« I can't believe it, I still don't realize it, declared the young winner. It's an immense accomplishment and enormous pride to win this title around an emblematic product of Lyon, my hometown. The quenelle is also a family story: I've always eaten it at my parents' and grandparents' home. Today, I'm so, so proud of myself ! »