French chef Daniel Boulud named Officer in the Order of Agricultural Merit

French chef Daniel Boulud received the insignia of Officer in the National Order of Agricultural Merit on December 6, 2023 from Jérémie Robert, Consul General of France in New York. The ceremony took place at Daniel Boulud’s new Café Boulud New York, which reopens this month on the Upper East Side.

The Order of Agricultural Merit was created by the French government by the French Ministry of Agriculture in 1883 to reward contributions to agriculture and all sectors of agriculture and all industries and activities that result from it
activities that result from it, such as culinary arts. This prestigious distinction was awarded
has Daniel Boulud as an expression of France’s deep gratitude for his brilliant career as a chef, which has contributed to the exceptional image of French gastronomy in the
UNITED STATES.

Daniel Boulud, an incredible career

Chef Boulud’s talent was evident from the start of his career, which began at the age of fourteen as an apprentice to chef de cuisine, Gérard Nandron (two stars in the Michelin Guide), before becoming Best Apprentice of France in 1972. He worked with the greatest Georges Blanc, Roger Vergé and Michel Guérard before leaving for Denmark to work in two of the greatest restaurants in Copenhagen: Le Plaza Hotel and Les Etoiles. In 1981, Chef Boulud moved to the United States as private chef for Roland de Kergorlay, representative of the European Commission in Washington, before settling in New York. He quickly rose to prominence as the chef of some of the city’s best restaurants: The Westbury Hotel, Le Régence and Le Cirque. In 1993, Chef Daniel opened his eponymous restaurant, Restaurant DANIEL, to bring innovative and modern French cuisine to New York. Today, Chef Boulud’s Dinex Group has grown to own and operate fourteen restaurants in New York and eight others in the United States, as well as abroad, including the Bahamas, Toronto, Montreal, Singapore and Dubai.

Through his numerous cookbooks and his culinary shows on radio and television, Chef Boulud promotes the French culinary tradition, which he has taught at prestigious institutions such as Cornell University, the Culinary Institute of America and the French Culinary Institute. From 2006 to 2008, he notably hosted the show “After Hours with Daniel Boulud”, in which he invited famous chefs to show behind the scenes of their great restaurants.

A restaurateur with a big heart

Beyond his exceptional talents as a chef and entrepreneur, Chef Boulud is a man of heart: numerous charitable works have benefited from his prestige and generosity. He is particularly active with the non-profit organization Citymeals On Wheels, which prepares nutritious meals for New York City’s homebound seniors. In 2013, Chef Boulud was named co-president of the organization and subsequently recruited other chefs to participate in the operation and personally deliver meals to seniors each month. In response to COVID-19, Chef Boulud launched a partnership with the nonprofit Food 1st to help deliver up to 2,000 meals per day to hospital workers, first responders and Citymeals on Wheels. He also created the Hand in Hand association to support his employees in financial difficulty.

Chef Boulud continues to support the French community in New York.
His dedication was demonstrated during the construction of the Lycée français de New York,
where he personally and graciously designed the kitchen plans. In 2009, the legendary Paul Bocuse, nicknamed the “grandfather of French cuisine”, invited Chef Boulud to become one of three co-directors of his foundation in the United States. There Paul Bocuse Foundation selects, prepares and supports chefs who wish to participate in the “Bocuse d’Or” culinary competition which is held twice a year in Lyon. Under the leadership of Chef Boulud, Team USA won the silver medal in this competition for the first time in 2015, and the gold medal in 2017.

Agricultural merit joins other distinctions

Chef Boulud has received the following awards from the James Beard Foundation: Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Restaurateur, Best Chef in New York City and Outstanding Chef of the Year. He was named Chef of the Year by the Culinary Institute of America and Knight of the Legion of Honor. In 2015, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants
awarded Mr. Boulud with the Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award for his success as a restaurateur, businessman and “chef revered as one of the best in the world.” In 2021, Les. Grandes Tables du Monde named him Best Restaurateur in the World.
The promotion of Chef Boulud to the rank of officer of the Order of Agricultural Merit rewards a personality whose talent, notoriety and openness to others strongly contribute to France’s presence in the United States.