With his Michelin-starred restaurant shuttered, Rasmus Kofoed had plenty of time to perfect his wares for this year’s Bocuse d’Or

After winning the bronze and silver medals in the 2007 and 2008 Bocuse d'Or championship cooking competitions, Rasmus Kofoed suffered a tough 2009. Not only did he miss out on a medal be was also forced to close his Michelin-starred Geranium restaurant close due to economic difficulties.

But the chef is back on track this year: his team won the Bocuse d’Or Europe competition for Denmark yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland. The victory qualifies him once again for the biennial world championships next year.

Despite not winning gold at the worlds, Kofoed is the only chef to have two medals in the competition. He told Berlingske Tidende newspaper that he now feels his luck is definitely starting to turn.

‘This is a huge win – both for me personally and for Denmark. We beat the big cooking countries France and Italy, so it’s a very important distinction for Danish gastronomy,’ said Kofoed.

‘I’d been working towards this for a long time and now I’m ready to go after the world title.'

Although he does not presently have a restaurant operating in Copenhagen, Kofoed is will reportedly reopen Geranium in August at the new tower extension at sports stadium Parken.

Food critic Søren Frank gave Kofoed the nod as the favourite at next year’s global competition.

‘He’s unquestionably Denmark’s most talented chef when it comes to these events,’ said Frank, who pointed out that Kofoed probably should have won in 2007.

That year, France’s Fabrice Desvignes was given the title under a storm of controversy after he was allowed to use pots that arrived after the competition had begun. The other contestants challenged that they contained previously prepared mixtures.

Kofoed, who finished second, did not lodge a formal complaint over the episode.