Chef Joel Robuchon wins 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award

Chef and restaurateur Joel Robuchon has been declared the winner of Restaurant magazine`s 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Robuchon, who built up a culinary empire across the globe after learning his trade in his native France, will pick up his award at the S. Pellegrino World`s 50 Best Restaurants Awards ceremony in London next Monday.

A successful restaurateur who currently runs 20 food businesses in six countries, Robuchon has also taught and inspired some of the best chefs in the world today.

Restaurant magazine editor Paul Wootton said: “His embracing of other culinary cultures and dining experiences propelled him to new heights when he re-emerged on to the restaurant scene in 2003, allowing him to create a restaurant empire that spans the globe.

"He demonstrated how great food can both absorb and transcend cultural and linguistic differences. While he may now be a global culinary superstar (the fact that he holds more Michelin stars than anyone else attests to that), he remains a stickler for detail and as infatuated with the art of cooking as he has ever been. That he can disseminate his culinary vision without diluting it is a rare achievement indeed.”

Previous winners of the award are Gualtiero Marchesi (2008), Alice Waters (2007), Michel Roux Sr. and Albert Roux (2006) and Paul Bocuse (2005), all of whom have made an outstanding contribution to the pursuit of culinary excellence.

Robuchon, whose latest restaurant - Yoshi - opened in Monaco earlier this year, will be given his award by Hibiscus chef/owner Claude Bosi on Monday.