WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — Nationwide recognition and the potential for international acclaim followed Executive Chef Richard Rosendale home to The Greenbrier this week.

Honored at a special “welcome home” reception at the resort Wednesday, Rosendale reflected on his three-day-old win in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or USA finals.

“It’s pretty amazing,” said the certified master chef, a veteran of more than 40 international culinary competitions. “Winning this changes your life forever.”

Rosendale’s win Sunday at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., means he will represent the United States at the 2013 Bocuse d’Or world cooking contest in Lyon, France, early next year.

The Bocuse d’Or is held every two years and is considered the culinary equivalent of the Olympic Games. Since the event was first staged in 1987, the highest the U.S. team has placed is sixth in a field of 24.

Indicative of the prestige of being selected to be his country’s representative in the international competition, Rosendale said he had received 754 congratulatory e-mails within hours of the end of Sunday’s finals.

“I feel so humbled as I look across the Internet,” he said, commenting on the number of news stories his win has generated. “The media attention is amazing.”

Speaking to the assembled staff and guests at Wednesday’s reception, Rosendale thanked all those who contributed to his success, including his wife, Laura, who is expecting the couple’s second child next month.

Laura Rosendale said of her husband, “He’s such a hard worker. He really deserves this.”

She said their 3 1/2-year-old son, Laurence, “kind of understands what’s going on” and particularly enjoyed seeing “Daddy” on television.

A graduate of the resort’s respected culinary apprentice program, Chef Rosendale said, “I grew up in these kitchens in The Greenbrier. My story is The Greenbrier’s story.”

He added later, “It’s almost like a storybook that this is happening now that I’m back here at The Greenbrier. I’m such an extension of this place.”

One of Rosendale’s mentors during his early years in The Greenbrier’s kitchens was Stewart “Pete” Alderman, a chef at the resort for more than 40 years. Now retired, Alderman was among the first in line to congratulate Rosendale at Wednesday’s reception.

“I have seen plenty of chefs come and go over the years,” Alderman said. “But Rich (Rosendale) is a chip off the old block — and by that I mean he’s very much like Chef (Hermann) Rusch, who founded the Culinary Academy here in 1957.”

Alderman said Rosendale’s accomplishments reflect well on the resort and its culinary apprentice program.

“That makes me feel proud,” Alderman said. “The Greenbrier family is proud of him.”

Another member of “The Greenbrier family” also has a share in Rosendale’s Bocuse d’Or victory. The chef’s commis — or assistant — in the competition is Corey Siegel, a senior in the resort’s culinary apprentice program. Siegel will continue to serve as commis to Rosendale in next year’s world Bocuse d’Or contest. “Corey became a rock star overnight,” Rosendale ribbed his protégé. “As soon as the TV cameras came on...”

The 21-year-old Siegel said, “The biggest opportunity this represents for me is being able to compete next to Chef Rosendale. He’s the most inspirational person in my life.”

Rosendale returned the compliment, saying, “I’ve been very impressed with how (Siegel) maintains his poise under the most intense pressure. This competition is so exacting that one mistake could mean you’re out of the running. He did a remarkable job.”

In selecting Siegel to serve as the lone assistant allowed by the competition’s rules, Rosendale said he looked at such intangible qualities as work ethic and attitude more than cooking skills alone.

“I can show him skills, but he must have that foundation of a willingness to work hard and keep a good attitude — along with some raw talent, of course,” Rosendale said. “Corey has all of that.”

The pressure of competition has the potential to take a toll on even the most experienced chef, Rosendale readily admitted.

“The mental concentration is the biggest challenge to preparing for a competition like this,” he said.

To help him focus, Rosendale said he has foregone alcohol, limited caffeine and engaged in a rigorous physical fitness regimen, even hiring a personal trainer. That discipline, which paid off in Sunday’s victory, now has to continue for another year, as Rosendale immediately begins preparation to compete for the world title in France next January.

“Starting Monday, I’ll have to take it to another level,” he said.