S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25 will turn the spotlight on the best culinary talents who hold the future of gastronomy in their hands:
applications open 21st February.
Cape Town, South Africa, 21st February 2024 – S.Pellegrino announces a new edition of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition, the global initiative to discover and mentor the most promising and talented young chefs.
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition is much more than a culinary contest. Taking part means joining the ambitious S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy project to make the world a better place through food. The participants will have a unique opportunity to join an international community and be empowered through education, mentoring, networking, and career opportunities. During the Competition, they will be mentored closely by world-renowned chefs who will help them bring their vision for the future to the table and their culinary skills to the next level.
“The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is a global community that was born to convey S.Pellegrino’s commitment to shaping the future of gastronomy by investing in values such as sustainability, responsibility, inclusivity, resilience and beauty, and the Competition is the main access to it. The last edition marked a record in participation with over 166 chefs passing the preliminary selections amongst the 15 regions involved. Seeing so many young talents willing to bring their best through hard work and passion, and to see them join our mission makes us proud. This makes us believe even more in this project and we can’t wait for the new edition to start,” said Stefano Bolognese, Sanpellegrino’s International Business Unit Director.
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25 will welcome young chefs who wish to challenge themselves and their abilities while gaining global visibility. Young chefs under 30 years of age will have the chance to register on https://sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com/the-competition/application-form from 21 February until 19 June 2024, by submitting the recipe of a signature dish that communicates their personal vision, unique skills, and creativity. As with previous editions, the first selection phase will be evaluated by ALMA, the International School of Italian Culinary Arts. ALMA will define a shortlist of young chefs who will participate in the Regional Finals that will take place across the globe through the second half of 2024.
Regional winners will compete at the Grand Finale event to win the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award 2024-25. To win the title, the chefs must impress the global Grand Jury – an esteemed panel of internationally renowned chefs – by demonstrating unrivalled technical abilities as well as true creativity. The winning talent should also display a strong personal belief regarding gastronomy, to convince the Jury of their ability to become a catalyst for positive change. The last edition saw chef Nelson Freitas triumph, emerging as the best chef in the world, under the age of 30.
As further recognition of Freitas’ outstanding talent, the Academy has offered him a unique educational experience in Peru with a giant of the global chef community, Virgilio Martínez, whose Lima restaurant, Central, topped The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023. There, Freitas will enjoy a special opportunity to boost his professional development, learning and taking inspiration from the best.
About his path through the Competition, chef Nelson Freitas said: “S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition was an incredible experience, as it allows connections, [and] sharing information, culture and of course, knowledge. I feel that I´ve grown in a professional and personal way, discovering new horizons and a renewed motivation for the future. For me it was not an end point but the beginning of a new journey. The Competition is the ideal context for all the young chefs who desire to show their work and test themselves. My advice for the new participants is: bring something personal, bring something you feel a deep connection with to show your very best!”
During the Competition, applicants will also compete for three additional awards which will recognise young chefs’ varied beliefs and approaches to creating positive societal change through food:
- S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award: voted for by the Sustainable Restaurant Association, which runs Food Made Good, the largest foodservice sustainability program and global community for driving sustainability in hospitality, the winning dish will represent the principle that food is at its best when it’s the result of socially responsible practices, encompassing sourcing, social and environmental requirements;
- Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award: voted for by Mentors, the winner of this award will produce a dish that represents the culinary heritage of the chef’s native region. The dish should highlight traditional culinary practices and personal modern vision, providing a connection between the past and the future.
- Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award: voted for by the online Fine Dining Lovers community, this award will be for the young chef who best represents their personal beliefs with a signature dish.
To learn more about the initiative please visit: www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com .
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Author: Zané Neethling from Paddington Station INC on behalf of Sanpellegrino.
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