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Terje Ness, center, takes top honors at the Bocuse D'or competition

January 28, 1999
Web posted at: 11:26 a.m. EST (1626 GMT)

LYON, France (CNN) -- Chefs from 22 countries gathered in Lyon this week to take part in one of the most prestigious contests in the world of gastronomy.

The 7-year-old Bocuse D'Or competition is named for Paul Bocuse, a world-renowned French chef whose Cote D'Or restaurant in Saulieu boasts three Michelin stars.

Preliminary competitions were held in 54 countries, but only 22 finalists made this year's cut.

Each finalist was given five hours to prepare one dish using pigeons and another using coalfish and scallops for 12 people. They were judged on taste, presentation and originality.

Norwegian Terje Ness won the event, walking away with a trophy and 13,000 euros (nearly $15,000).

Yannick Alleno from the Drouant in Paris placed second, and Belgian Ferdy Debecker from the Eyckerhof restaurant in Bornem came in third.

Reuters contributed to this report.