Official message from the direction

Dear Students,

The last few days have been dominated by revelations in the press concerning our school, and in particular the disputes that have been opposing us for a number of months with Mr Jérôme Bocuse.

This was news for some, and a confirmation for others of the rumours that have been circulating for several weeks in and around Lyon.

You may be wondering why didn't we inform you earlier? Beyond the legal restrictions, we wanted to remain discreet until now, in the hope of being able to resolve a dispute that had been going on for many months, through discussions and mediation. We have done our utmost to find an amicable solution to this matter, trying to safeguard the reputation of the name we are all proud to bear, without disrupting your education.

Faced with press enquiries, we have now decided to answer their questions in order to clarify any ambiguity and give the main reasons for this dispute before any untrue information is disseminated about a situation that affects us all emotionally and on a personal level.

Following this first wave of announcements, I would like to share with you a more personal and transparent view of the situation, and some explanations without being controversial.

Our school was born from the encounter of two geniuses, namely Paul Bocuse and Gérard Pélisson. They were united by their shared belief in the values of transmission and by the common objective of spreading the French art of living throughout the world. They embody the school's spirit and DNA. They are a source of inspiration for us all. And that will stay with us forever!

Thanks to them, obviously, but above all thanks to the work of our teams of teachers and professionals over the last thirty years, and to the recognition of the professional expertise of our graduates, our school has become a reference for training in the culinary arts, hospitality and food service industries.

Our school had a difficult beginning. In 1998, Gérard Pelisson and other entrepreneurs in the sector backed the Ecole des Arts Culinaires et de l'Hôtellerie to save it from bankruptcy. In 2002, Gérard Pélisson and Hervé Fleury approached Paul Bocuse with a proposal that the school be renamed Institut Paul Bocuse. The latter immediately accepted with great shared emotion. A tribute to Paul Bocuse who, at 76 years old, had already experienced his finest hours.

In perfect harmony with Paul Bocuse and thanks to his full support, our school's fabulous journey took shape, with the opening of new activities, the inauguration of new sites, and the success of a number of other projects with which the great chef was happily and proudly associated.

In 2009, an agreement between Mr Paul Bocuse and Gérard Pelisson was signed "to guarantee the future of the school", granting the free use of his name until 2037.

Mr Paul Bocuse passed away on 20 January 2018.

In 2019 Jérôme Bocuse, the new owner of the name, asked the school to sign a brand licence, in exchange for money and intentions to influence the pedagogical management of the school, calling into question the agreements signed, claiming that the development of the school was not covered by the agreement, and that we were using his name to the detriment of his reputation and economic interests. None of the school's actions were undertaken to make a profit by using the name of Paul Bocuse inappropriately:

▪ The meals served in the EHPAD elderly care homes concern the work of our research centre in order to improve the everyday life of senior citizens,

▪ No menu was signed for Air France, the training centre trained the teams in in-flight service,

▪ Finally, the only by-products are those produced for the students and the recipe book of the Institute's chefs.

We did everything we could to find an amicable solution, but Jérôme Bocuse took legal action on his own initiative to prevent us from using the name of Paul Bocuse in the future. The verdict of this lawsuit, which we have contested, will be pronounced at the end of the year.

Our non-profit status is an important aspect of our teaching philosophy, and which allows us to spend every euro on our teaching mission. The tuition fees we charge are below the real cost of our courses thanks to the sponsors who support the school.

A royalty payment would immediately result in a significant increase in the cost of tuition for students. Jérôme Bocuse recently reversed this position, but we do not know what the trade-offs are, and we will continue to analyse any solution that will allow us to continue to carry out our mission and the normal activities of a school of our status in an independent manner.

Paul Bocuse is deceased! Gérard Pelisson is 90 years old! He has done everything possible to ensure that the adventure continues while maintaining the values shared with Paul Bocuse:

He created the School Foundation, and personally contributed 15 M€ without receiving any compensation to finance the development of the school and the scholarship programme, which today benefits 150 students.

Other patrons continue to support this philanthropic initiative to make us an outstanding French international school for the hospitality, culinary arts and food service professions, and give us the opportunity to recruit the best professional instructors and professors.

Understandably, this situation may give you cause for concern, even though we are proud to bear the name of Institut Paul Bocuse.

I would like to reassure you.

Today, the school is driven by a new ambition, to be among the world's leading international schools. This ambition is illustrated by our achievements:

▪ The creation of a Bachelor's degree in Pastry-making

▪ The creation of 6 postgraduate specialisations

▪ Widening participation through CROUS bursaries, and bursaries awarded by the Foundation

▪ The creation of the "Student Life" department to ensure the well-being of our students

▪ The creation of the "Corporate Relations" department, which enables us to ensure appropriate and fulfilling career prospects for all our students

▪ The recruitment of faculty members

▪ The awarding of a Michelin star to our Saisons restaurant

▪ The victory of Davy Tissot in the Bocuse d’or Tournament

▪ The succession assured by Naïs selected for the next final

▪ The choice, made by the regional authorities last February, for us to host the "Claire Fontaine des Métiers" competition.

The recognition, in 2019, by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and Innovation, and more recently the recognition of our research centre by the National Committee for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES). The process of working towards international accreditations is also well underway.

Only these types of organisations along with employers can guarantee the value of your qualification. By launching our work towards achieving international accreditation, this recognition will allow you to choose the profession that matches your career ambitions, or to pursue your studies in the best higher education institutions.

Finally, the forthcoming inauguration of the Rose Garden (la Roseraie) will provide us with an extraordinary campus, showcasing the hospitality industry professions in preparation for the coming decades, and to promote our qualifications worldwide.

It is not a question of losing our soul, nor of renouncing our heritage, our roots and our values, which we must continue to defend with even greater force. On the contrary, we are prouder than ever of our assets, of our culinary and hospitality training courses, which are recognised as among the best, and more than ever proud of our roots in Lyon, the capital of gastronomy. We are equally proud of our champion instructors and graduates, who symbolise the excellence of our education.

The pioneering spirit and values of our founders are and will remain our legacy, which no person or judgement can take from us. We must look to the future.

It is not the name that determines the quality of the degree!

This is determined by our training facilities: the Clipper, le Royal, Saisons, l'Institut, Expérience, Nomos, le Mélibar, F&B. It is the unique and singular energy that reigns daily on our campus. It is our students and alumni, the vast majority of whom are loyal and grateful, and proudly defend the values of their school and what it has provided them with.

Last but not least, it is the instructors, chefs and professionals from all fields who pass on and share their passion, their expertise and their understanding of our professions and their evolution.

It is the recognition by professionals of the quality of the professionalism and the ability to adapt of our graduates and students. So that your employment opportunities are secured.

It is you through your attitude, your commitment, your professionalism during your internships or tomorrow in your first jobs that make the reputation of the school.

It is our Alumni themselves, who are loyal and grateful, and who proudly defend the values of their school and what it has done for them.

Businesses and employers, whatever our name may be, will continue to look for tomorrow's talent among our students, for the renowned training they receive. The school will continue to shine.

Among other things, this challenge confirms that we will have to demonstrate even more than ever our commitment to excellence and to being exemplary in our work, and our attitude to strive to be recognised among the best. For our school to stand out.

I hope that this message will enable you to have a better understanding of what is a complex situation,

and to measure the scale of our commitment to defend the interests of the school, to defend YOUR interests.

You can count on the full engagement of all the members of staff, today and in the future, to pursue our mission of accompanying you in the best possible way, proudly belonging to the family that we form together, in accordance with our shared values.

Yours truly,
Dominique Giraudier - CEO Institut Paul Bocuse