2024 Winner of The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy UK Regional Final Announced

London, 27th September 2024 – After rounds of competitive cooking, and outstanding displays of culinary prowess by some of the most talented young chef’s in the UK, S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy recognised Ben Miller as the winner of the competition’s Regional Final for the United Kingdom at the NoMad Hotel last Thursday 26th September.

Ben, who showcased brilliant talent throughout the competition process, beat eight other finalists, rising to the top of thousands of applicants from around the world, and will compete in the Grand Finale taking place in Milan next year.

The 29-year-old from Canada, now lives in London and has been working in kitchens since he was 15 years old, beginning at a local family run catering company in Calgary, Alberta. Ben’s love of food and creative expression has always been at the heart of his culinary journey, driving him to explore new techniques and flavours. He credits his passion for combining artistic expression with culinary innovation in helping fuel his ambition, as he constantly seeks out new challenges to refine his skills and push the boundaries of his craft.

At the competition final, which took place at Le Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London, Ben won over the renowned jury including, Santiago Lastra, Nokx Majozi, Lorna McNee and Adam Smith, with his signature dish Ode to Sam Yee, a dish he has been perfecting for years. The recipe featured Crowned Roasted Duck Breast with Szechuan Jus and Garlic Choi Sum, Confit Leg Rice under Brown Butter Sabayon with a Foie Gras “Siu Mai” in an Alsace Bacon Consommé paired with MingCha Jasmine Blossom Tea. And the showstopper will now see Ben go on to represent the United Kingdom at the global Grand Finale in Milan next year.

In addition, Ben was also the recipient of a second award on the night, the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award, which celebrates the dish that best represents the culinary heritage of its native region and was voted for by the nine participating mentors ahead of the competition.

Ben Miller had this to say about his win “I have entered 13 competitions like this during my career and this is the very first I have won so I am delighted. It’s always a huge challenge to take part in these tests and coming away with a loss can be disheartening but it also makes us young chefs hungrier to succeed and today shows that with determination, you can get there. The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition has been such a fantastic process to be a part of and it’s been amazing to see so much talent across all of our signature dishes. I’m so happy to have won and I look forward to representing the UK at the Global Finale next year.”

Together with Ben, two other chefs were also awarded at the Regional Final event, winning the collateral awards, and will have the chance to win respective global titles, also announced at the Grand Finale next year:

The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Awards are held every two years to champion and celebrate young chef talent throughout the world, encouraging them to bring their best to the table.

To stay updated with announcements and news about the exciting initiative that aims to discover and nurture brilliant, boundary-pushing talents in gastronomy, you can visit  https://www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com/