Chef Jerome Bocuse, co-founder of culinary nonprofit, ment’or BKB Foundation, will be part of the 2016 Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival. Courtesy photo.

The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival (HFWF) has formed a partnership with prestigious culinary nonprofit ment’or BKB Foundation to provide local chefs with an opportunity to train with the best chefs in our country.

Ment’or BKB Foundation, founded by master chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse initially began in 2008 to create a formal structure to train the U.S. team competing in the Bocuse d’Or World Competition, the Olympics of cooking.

In addition, ment’or also provides advanced, up-and-coming chefs unique training, internship and mentor opportunities with esteemed chefs. The partnership will provide two Hawai‘i chefs with access to stage, or train, with ment’ors on its Culinary Council.

As part of this collaboration, Chef Jerome Bocuse has been added to the HFWF16 finale on O‘ahu, Halekulani Culinary Masters Series: East Meets West, on October 30, 2016. Bocuse carries on the legacy of his father, Paul Bocuse, who is a legend in the culinary world, credited for nouvelle cuisine and for creating the Bocuse d’Or in France.

The grants will provide young talent in Hawai‘i with invaluable opportunities to expand their skills in kitchens outside of the state. Chefs on the mentor Culinary Council include fifty culinary legends such as Grant Achatz, Jose Andres, Emeril Lagasse, Jacques Pepin, Wolfgang Puck, Jean-George Vongeritchten to name a few, along with Hawaiʻi notables, Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong.

“Travel is an important part of a lifelong culinary education, as well as part of perfecting the craft and elevating the profession,” explains HFWF Chief Executive Officer Denise Yamaguchi.  “Often times travel for young chefs in Hawai‘i is limited by resources, and this partnership provides those with great ambition with the fortuitous opportunity to travel and stage in the kitchens of some of our country’s best chefs.”

Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival will be on Maui from Friday, Oct. 14 through Sunday, Oct. 16, then travels to the Big Island of Hawai‘i and O‘ahu.  To learn more about the tour, go to HFWF’s website.