Back in 1997, Mr. Gerhard Zimmer (general manager of Sofitel Hyland) and Mr. Volkmar Ruebel (general manager of Hilton Shanghai) held a meeting, came up with the general idea of forming a Chaine des Rotisseurs bailliage in Shanghai, and discussed the potential set up. The decision was made to officially propose the setting up of the bailliage in coordination with the already-established Bailliage de Beijing. Arrangements were made to meet the council where views and opinions could be presented on how to commence the operation.

Upon invitation to an official dinner in April 1997 at the Hilton Shanghai, members of the board of La Chaine des Rotisseurs Bailliage de Beijing came to Shanghai. The same dinner was attended by 40 members of the community who were all interested in La Chaine de Rotisseurs. Initially, the board members from Beijing felt that Shanghai was not ready; however, an emotional speech by the organizing committee in Shanghai convinced everybody that if there is a city that was ready to have a bailliage, it would be Shanghai, particularly considering its historical connection with France ?Shanghai had always been dubbed “The Paris of the East.?p>A potential board of directors group was formed and consisted of:
- Gerhard Zimmer, designated as the bailli delegue
- Volkmar Ruebel, designed as the chancelier
- Annick de Bentzmann, designated as the argentier
- Herve de Bentzmann, designated as the echanson
- Nora Sun, designated as charge de missions
- Jean Michel Dumont, designated as the charge de press

The whole board attended a grand dinner in Beijing in December 1997, met up with Mr. Robert Baty, Grand Maitre of La Chaine de Rotisseurs, and got full endorsement.

On January 14, 1999, La Chaine des Rotisseurs Bailliage de Shanghai was officially established with its first induction ceremony held at the Hilton Shanghai Grand Ballroom with a very memorable theme of “Shanghai ?Crystal and Ice.? Thirty-five (35) members were inducted and the dinner was attended by120 people/members of the society.

The bailliage has since grown and is today a very well-established association in the city with 3-4 major events held every year in different venues ?all these dinners are held with the aim of promoting the very best in the culinary and gastronomic world.

In 2001, Volkmar Ruebel was designated/inducted as the Bailli Delegue and remains in the position up to the present. Last May 2004, during the annual general members meeting and assembly of Conseil Administration in Paris, he was appointed to the Conseil Magistral, Paris.