Get ready, lovers of maritime flavors and Provencal authenticity! The very first French Bouillabaisse Championship took place on Sunday December 7, 2025. The first-ever competition took place in Sausset-les-Pins, and was won by Marseille chef Benjamin Mathieu . A historic victory for this emblematic Mediterranean dish and for Marseilles gastronomy.
A first-ever championship at La Calanque Bleue
The event took place on Sunday December 7 at the restaurant La Calanque Bleue in Sausset-les-Pins. Chef Yvan Vahanian is the driving force behind this historic initiative. Passionate about bouillabaisse and renowned for the quality of his product, he has been taking this legendary dish around the world for several years now (New York, Tokyo, Mexico…). Motivated by his desire to inscribe this Marseilles tradition on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list.
Benjamin Mathieu’s bouillabaisse voted best in France
Marseilles chef Benjamin Mathieu’s bouillabaisse, renowned for its fidelity to tradition, won over the jury with its authenticity and technical mastery.
With this victory, the chef from L’Esplaï du Grand Bar des Goudes secures his direct ticket to the Bouillabaisse World Championship , to be held in Marseille on March 15, 2026. There, he will defend France’s colors against chefs from the world’s capitals, where Yvan Vahanian has already exported his bouillabaisse in recent years.
Six chefs face star-studded jury
Six chefs from the four corners of France competed in a three-hour event, reproducing the codes of major TV cooking shows. Each participant was given the same ingredients and equipment to prepare a bouillabaisse faithful to Provencal traditions. The audience, seated in a specially equipped grandstand, was able to follow each stage of preparation and discover the precise gestures and rituals that make this mythical dish so rich.
To decide between the candidates, Yvan Vahanian brought together a top-flight panel of judges to ensure the highest possible standards:
- Gérald Passédat (three-starred chef).
- Guillaume Gomez (Michelin-starred chef at the Élysée Palace).
- Alexandre Pinna (Chef at Chez Fonfon in Marseille).
- Ludovic Turac (Chef of the restaurant Une table au sud).
- Paul Visciano (Chef at Chez Michel).
- … and of course, Yvan Vahanian.
This calanque in Marseille, where Captain Cousteau dived, is one of the 5 most beautiful beaches in France.