The role of culinary competitions as a driver of innovation in gastronomy

This thesis investigates the role of culinary competitions as potential drivers of innovation in gastronomy, while also exploring the role that the chef assumes in this process. Although the literature has extensively examined innovation diffusion, creativity, and the role of the chef in this domain, limited attention has been paid to culinary competitions as contexts capable of generating and diffusing innovation. This study therefore aims to contribute to filling this literature gap. Adopting a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews, a thematic analysis is carried out on the responses of four Italian chefs who participated in the Bocuse d'Or and one international expert providing a comparative perspective. The analysis reveals that constraints, competitive pressure, and cultural background within a knowledge-rich environment can generate incremental innovation, destined to spread beyond the competition itself. Rather than an isolated event, the competition should be understood as an engine of innovation requiring a supporting system made of teams, academies, and institutions, capable of capturing and diffusing what emerges. Context matters, as each country's traditions and surrounding ecosystem shape how innovation circulates differently. At the center of this process stands the chef, a key agent of innovation whose effectiveness depends not on individual talent alone, but on the collective system that surrounds and sustains that talent.