A fierce force from France, Benoît Sanchez, Joannes Richard, and Nelson Batouxas Win the World Burger Championship with an Exceptional Burger Enriched with Popcorn Crumble.
The news
From November 9th to 12th, the World Burger Championship took place in Dallas, United States. A French team, "Team Burger France," also participated in the competition. Notably, the sale of burgers in France has increased tenfold in the last ten years. This staple of fast food has made its way into the kitchens of French chefs, gradually becoming a gourmet dish. And this year, the best burger in the world is French, as revealed by Food & Sens.
Leading the way is 44-year-old Benoît Sanchez, a well-known figure in culinary competitions. In 2022, he was already elected the vice world champion in the same competition with his partner Joannes Richard. His cornbread and spicy red fruit barbecue sauce received praise from the judges, justifying the excellent score of 97.2/100.
A member of the National Academy of Cuisine, Sanchez also participated this year in the prestigious American event, the World Food Championships in Dallas, in the hamburger category, bringing together 1,500 chefs from around the world. But his experience goes beyond the basic requirements: coming from fine dining, he worked in many Michelin-starred restaurants in London and Madrid before opening his restaurant, Le Tatoué Toqué, in Tours.
To win this new prize, he surrounded himself with a highly competent team, made of Joannes Richard and Nelson Batouxas. The best burger in the world is called "All In," just like when a poker player employs this strategy, betting all the remaining chips. And a poker move is precisely the story of the recipe, invented the day before the final. So, just a few days ago, in front of a jury of great American chefs, Team Burger France was crowned. The team won a trophy, a medal, and 10,000 euros to share among the three.
"In the recipe, there's a crumble of popcorn with cashews. Inside, the meat is produced by one of the top 100 American butchers. We prepared mango pickles, cucumber with pineapple ketchup, and also a spicy tomato reduction. On top, there was a mixed salad with cilantro and parsley, to add freshness," the chef recounts.
Photo taken from the restaurant's Facebook page
