Meilleur Ouvrier de France

Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France is a craftsmen competition in France, held every four years.

The title of Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (shortened to MOF) is a unique and prestigious award in France according to category of trades in a contest among professionals. This contest is organized and recognized as a third-level degree by the French Ministry of Labour. The President of the French Republic is granted honorary membership with the title MOF honoris causa. The awarding of medals occurs at the Sorbonne, in Paris, during a large reunion followed by a ceremony at the Élysée in the presence of the President of the French Republic.

This award for special abilities is unique in the world. Created in 1924, initially between the best workers of the era aged 23 and over, this contest was given the title of Un Des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (One of the Best Craftsmen of France). Today, by the diversity of specialities, the list of which is regularly updated, the award has also been awarded to more modern trades and high technology fields.

In this competition, the candidate is given a certain amount of time and basic materials not only to create a masterpiece, but to do so with a goal of approaching perfection. The chosen method, the organization, the act, the speed, the knowhow and the respect for the rules of the trade are verified by a jury just as much as is the final result. The winning candidates retain their title for life, with the indication of the specialty, the year following the one in which they obtain the title. This prestigious title is equally recognized by professionals and the greater public in France, particularly among artisan-merchants such as pastrymakers, hairdressers, butchers, jewelers, and others whose trades are recognized, particularly those for more luxurious goods.

This competition requires months, sometimes years, of preparation. Technical skills, innovation, respect for traditions and other aspects are all practiced repeatedly to a level of refinement and excellence, effectiveness and quickness to succeed and be crowned by the jury, which makes its decision according to the distribution of points awarded during the entire process.

List of skills

Hospitality

Pastrymaking and candymaking
Cooked meat and catering
Butchery
Cooking and running restaurants
Bakeries
Ice creams and sorbets
Chocolatiers
Cheesemongers
Fishmongers
Waiters
Receptionists

Buildings

Wood carpentry
Metallic ornaments and coverings
Woodwork
Painting and paint decoration
Plumbing, installation of sanitary works, etc.
Stonemasonry
Cementworks
Locksmithing and metalworking
Climate engineering
Stove fittings
Artisanal ironwork
Glasses and mirrors
Decorative sculptures
Engravings
Reinforced Concrete
Plasterworks
Masonry
Mosaics
Glassworks
Marbleworks
Scale models (architecture)

Clothing accessories

Lace and hand embroidery
Corsets, bras, lingerie
Tailoring

Beauty and aesthetics

Men's hairstyling
Women's hairstyling
Aesthetic body hygiene

Textile industries

Textile designers
Printing on fabrics
"Ready to wear" (high quality) products
Restoration of tapestries and carpets
Carpets
Weaving

Home decoration

Cabinetmaking
Woodworking for seats
Wood turners and benders
Wood sculptures
Luthiery
Tapestries - weavers
Tapestries - decorators
Wood gilding
Framing
Marquetry
Cooperage
Wickerwork

Metallic Structures

Boilermaking
Artisanal copperware
Sheet metalworking

Industries

General mechanics
Electrical equipment and installation
Foundry - tool construction
Soldering
Blacksmithing
Composite materials

Precision Techniques

Cutlery
Clockmaking
Glassesmaking
Dentalworks
Armouryworks

Synthetic materials arts and techniques

Plasticworks

Leathers and Skins

Laboratory technicians, taxidermy
Trappings
Shoes
Traveling articles, leatherworking

Ceramics and glassworks

Glass and crystals
Stained glass windows
Santons
Glassblowing
Ceramic restoration

Graphic arts and trades

Advertising graphics
Printing
Photography
Photography (laboratory)
Silkscreen printing
Creation of typographic characters
Bookbinding

Artistic Metalworks

Jewellery (jewels)
Creation of jewellery with precious metals
Diamondworking
Steel engraving
Copper and steel graving (for printing)
Heraldic and jewel engraving
Luminous bronzework

Flowers and countryside

Florist
Gardening (artisanal)

The most celebrated M.O.F winners

Joël Robuchon (MOF 1976)
Olivier Bajard (Métier de bouche)
Paul Bocuse (Métier de bouche)
Matthieu Miossec (Métier de bouche)
Laurent Dassont (Métier de bouche)
Pascal Caffet (Métier de bouche)
René Fontaine (1946-...) : Master chocolatier, MOF 1976. (Métier de bouche)
Yves Thuriès (Métier de bouche)
Roger Vergé (Métier de bouche)
Dominique Laporte (2004)(Métier de bouche-Sommelier)
Jacques Torres
Alain Fabregues (MOF 1991)
Michel Roux (MOF 1976)
Virginie Basselot

Many members of the Compagnons du Devoir are also M.O.F.

External links

Annuaire des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Directory Template:Fr-icon
Comité d'Organisation Official page Template:Fr-icon
Société des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (association) Template:Fr-icon