S.Pellegrino Launches Young Chef Competition
S.Pellegrino has launched the seventh edition of its Young Chef Academy Competition, beginning a global search for the next generation of culinary talent. The competition invites chefs under the age of 30 to participate. The application period opened on February 16th.
- In addition to the age requirement, applicants must have at least one year of professional experience as a 'commis', 'chef de cuisine', 'chef de partie', or 'sous chef'. - The competition unfolds in several stages: an initial application review by ALMA (The International School of Italian Culinary Arts), followed by regional finals held across 15 different global regions, and culminating in the Grand Finale in Milan. - The 2024-2025 Global Jury includes several internationally acclaimed chefs, such as Jeremy Chan of the two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi in London and Christophe Bacquié of the two-Michelin-starred La Table des Amis in Provence. - Contestants are judged on three "Golden Rules": technical skills, creativity, and personal belief in the transformative power of gastronomy. - Beyond the main S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award, participants compete for three other titles: the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award, the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award, and the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award. - A key component of the competition is mentorship, where finalists are paired with renowned senior chefs who provide guidance throughout the process. - The previous winner of the 2022-2023 competition was Nelson Freitas, a young chef from Portugal. - For the current edition, 165 young chefs were selected from thousands of global applications to proceed to the regional finals.
