In the 1980s I placed an ad in a local magazine. It was my first time doing a professional food shot. We spent the better part of a day to get a single photograph for this ad. With the advent of personal computers and digital photography, it now seems like child's play.
“Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France” is a craftsmen competition, held every three years.
Created in 1924 and given to the best craftsmen competing in each field, it covers everything from chocolate making to specific building trades, including Window making and Cabinetry. Each competitor enters a masterpiece which demonstrates his craft, which is then evaluated against extremely stringent standards. Within each category anyone making the standard receives the award, so in any given year, there may be several people receiving the award for a given category or there may be none.
Merely to enter the competition requires significant commitment from the craftsman; the master piece being submitted will certainly require weeks and very likely months of work to create a showpiece that demonstrates technical excellence combined with artistic flair. However, the award carries such prestige that it is worth almost any effort. The winner will then proudly carry the title 'Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France' (literally translated 'One of the Best Workers of France', but a more meaningful translation would be 'One of the Best Craftsmen of France') for the rest of his or her life.
Tastefully yours®
Chef Michael
