Bocuse d’Or 2025: Nils Ģēvele on goosebumps, fist bumps, and making history

Nils Ģēvele is the first Latvian chef to ever reach the Bocuse d’Or final – the world’s biggest cooking competition. From relentless training to a heart-stopping moment in the kitchen (and a fist bump from the legendary Thomas Keller), he shares what it really takes to compete at this level.

Jake: Hey Nils, great to meet you, and thank you for taking the time to speak with us.

Nils: Hello, of course! 

Jake: You’re the first Latvian chef to ever make it to the Bocuse d’Or final – what an achievement!

What was going through your mind when you found out you’d made it?

Nils: After receiving the wild card, it felt unbelievable and really overwhelming. Our team needed to start training immediately, as it was already half a year after the European selection, and our hopes weren’t too high that we could qualify.

Jake: That’s not long at all… but here you are!

For those who might not know, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role as head chef at Ferma?

Nils: My love for cooking started in childhood. As the first-born, I had to help my mom cook for my younger siblings. When I got older, I went hunting and fishing with my father and grandfather, and my grandmother loved hosting big dinner parties. These are the main things that shaped me as a person.

After finishing my studies, I jumped straight into the kitchen and never looked back. I participated in many cooking competitions, where I met my mentor, Māris Astičs, who gave me a chance to prove myself in his kitchen. Now, I take care of the restaurant kitchen, lead a great team, and create tasty, beautiful food together. I’m really passionate about the way we cook. We try to be as sustainable as possible and encourage new cooks to train for competitions so we can grow together. But mainly, I just like to get things done.

Jake: I love hearing a personal story like this. I’m sure the roots of your food come from those early days spent cooking with your mum.

The final is intense – how did you approach choosing your dishes? Did you have a specific strategy to impress the judges?

Nils: Yes, it’s really intense. I still get goosebumps. There’s nothing easy about the Bocuse d’Or. Our plan was just to do our best, so we made all the mistakes before the competition. Personally, I tried to create the best meal I’ve ever made or had.

To impress the judges, we needed to understand where they’re from, what they cook, and what they would actually like. It’s a lot of people to impress, and hopefully, we did it.

Jake: It sounds complicated, especially since you have to create a menu that matches such specific tastes.

Can you give us a behind-the-scenes look at what training for a competition like this really involves?

Nils: In the last few weeks, it was impossible to work because training and all the organisation took up all of my time. We had 17 time trials of 5.35 hours each, which took up the whole day on mimic competition days. We needed at least twice the time to plan, organise, and weigh all the ingredients the day before. And before that, we spent many days creating recipes and platters. 

Jake: That’s a lot of detail to handle – really intense!

Nils: Sure, It takes many tries before everything on the plate makes sense, has balanced flavours, and looks perfect visually. Without training, you also need to be ready mentally and physically and have good team spirit throughout the competition. I also had to balance my personal life.

Jake: Makes me sweat just thinking about it. I have no idea how you managed to deal with the pressure of it all…

What was the standout moment for you in the final? Whether it was a small personal win or just pure adrenaline.

Nils: After sending the first platter out of the kitchen, Chef Thomas Keller came up to me, gave a fist bump, and said, “Great job, Chef!” He’s one of my all-time favourite chefs – I think I have all of his books.

Jake: (Laughs) Not sure I own one of his books. Must feel pretty great to get that recognition.

Every competition has its challenges. Was there a moment where things almost went off track?

Nils: A little bit. I broke the most important piece of the first platter, but luckily I had double tape to stick it together before anyone noticed. I had a small heart attack, but it ended up perfect.

Jake: Well… that’s a nail-biter! Good thing for double tape.

For chefs aspiring to compete in something as prestigious as Bocuse d’Or, what’s the one piece of advice you’d give them? (Apart from bringing double tape!)

Nils: Definitely go for it. You never know how it will end up. Just do your best and keep on cooking.

Jake: Simple yet solid advice.

It’s been a pleasure chatting, Nils! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us. We can’t wait to see what you get up to next!

Nils: Thank you for having me.

That’s a wrap! You can check out the results of Bocuse d’Or 2025 здесь. Stay tuned for more interviews – follow the блог for the latest.