On Sunday, March 15, Ludwig Tjörnemo will represent Sweden at Bocuse d’Or Europe in Marseille. Falstaff Nordics caught up with him in the final days before the competition.
“The competition nerves are definitely starting to kick in, of course, but that’s as it should be.”
Ludwig Tjörnemo, who is based in Stockholm, is competing alongside his commis Emilia Björklund and coach Jimmi Eriksson. In recent weeks, the team has focused on everything from timed training sessions to shaving off precious minutes through faster butchery, refined workflows, and the fine-tuning of sauces, colour, and flavour.
This year’s competition also introduces a new element: an emulsion sauce that must be prepared on stage in full view of both the audience and the jury, adding yet another layer of pressure. How is the team feeling at this stage? “Good. Just before the competition, we’ve had a couple of strong training sessions, so things feel solid.”
In Bocuse d’Or, creative ambition has to coexist with a strict rulebook and relentless time pressure. For Tjörnemo, one of the greatest challenges lies in how quickly everything must fall into place once the brief is revealed. “That is, without a doubt, the hardest part. There’s not much you can do about the nerves – you just have to prepare as well as you can and trust yourself. I’ve built up quite a lot of experience over the years, so I’m confident it will all come together.”
Cooking food that feels true to your own style is only part of the task. In an international competition, it also has to win over a jury with different preferences. “It’s about finding a balance between the two. I know that in the Nordics we tend to appreciate higher acidity and salt levels more than much of the rest of Europe, so that’s something you have to take into account. But so far, it’s gone well.”
Despite those constraints, Tjörnemo stresses the importance of bringing something personal to the dishes. “I think that’s incredibly important. Otherwise, it’s difficult to reach the podium. If you look at my cooking from previous years – the techniques and flavour combinations – you’ll recognise certain similarities.” Exactly how that will play out within this year’s Mediterranean theme, however, is something Tjörnemo is not prepared to reveal. “No. You always want to keep it under wraps for as long as possible, so it remains a surprise for the jury. You only get one chance to create that surprise and wow factor, so it would be foolish to say too much in advance.”
A win in Marseille would secure qualification for the Bocuse d’Or world final in Lyon in 2027. For Tjörnemo, though, the competition is also about measuring himself against Europe’s best and seeing how far he can go when the pressure is at its highest. “Winning would obviously mean a great deal. First, because it would secure our place in the world final, and second, because gold is always gold – that’s the whole reason you’re there in the first place.”
