S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF RETURNS FOR AN IMPRESSIVE THIRD EDITION

S.Pellegrino announces the next edition of its international competition which recognises rising culinary talent from across the globe, now including an additional region, taking place over an extended period.

UK and Ireland, January 16, 2017– S.Pellegrino announces the highly-anticipated return of S.Pellegrino Young Chef, a global competition recognising leading young culinary talent from across the world. The third edition, with applications opening on February 1, 2017, will provide contestants with the opportunity to demonstrate and strengthen their skills, through a series of challenges whilst gaining valuable visibility on a global scale.

The competition will now take place over 18 months, with this next edition running from 2017 to 2018. 2017 will see the prelimary selection rounds and the local competitions take place, followed by the Grand Final in June 2018, where finalists will compete for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 title. The extended duration will allow candidates more time to work side by side their assigned Chef Mentors to improve their signature dishes and refine their skill set in preparation for the finals.

Winners of S.Pellegrino Young Chef are given an incredible opportunity to gain global visibility and career development and training, as well as the chance to take part in several of the brand’s annual events around the world, including but not limited to those related to the Young Chef competition. “It is a great honor to be named S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016,” said S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 winner, Mitch Lienhard of the United States. “The experience has provided many unforgettable moments so far, and I am thankful for the impact the title will have on my career. I look forward to continuing my work with S.Pellegrino, to help find the culinary world’s best new talent and serving as a mentor for future competitors.” Among previous winners of the competition is Ireland-based S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015, Mark Moriarty.

This year sees “Central America–Caribbean”added to the already vast range of geographical regions included within the competition, meaning the final contestants will hail from 21 different areas from across the globe. In addition, applications will now be accepted in English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French and Italian. All candidates are required to understand and speak English, as it is the official language of the competition.

Applications for S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 open on February 1, 2017 at Sanpellegrino.com. The website will serve as the new digital hub of the competition, whilst FineDiningLovers.com – the online magazine for food enthusiasts from all over the world, proudly endorsed by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna – has been named as the official media partner.

Over the course of the competition – which last year, attracted over 3,000 applicants – 70 top chefs will be involved as jurors in the local competitions, 21 young chefs from 21 different geographic areas will be selected as semifinalists and 21 Chef Mentors will be tasked with providing guidance to the young chefs throughout their once in a lifetime journey.

The global competitionincludes a distinguished panel of judges, known as the Seven Sages, which is comprised of some of the most celebrated culinary masters of the world, who are responsible for deciding the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 at the finals in Milan, Italy.

S.Pellegrino Young Chef is a global competition comprising of four phases:

PHASE I – Online Application (February 2017 – April 2017)

From February 1 to April 30, 2017, any young chef in the world will have the opportunity to submit an application and their signature dish at www.sanpellegrino.com. Applicants must be 30-years-old or younger with at least one year of experience working in a restaurant as a chef, sous chef or chef de partie. The complete list of compeititon requirements will be available on the application website.

PHASE II – Global Shortlist (June 1, 2017)

All qualified candidates will be divided into 21 regions* according to their geographic origin. Submissions will then be assessed by ALMA, the world’s leading international educational and training centre for Italian Cuisine (www.alma.scuolacucina.it), which will select the top 10 semifinalists for each region, according to five “Golden Rules”:

INGREDIENTS: Ability to select the best ingredients that the market can offer in terms of quality, freshness and uniqueness, in order to achieve an excellence of taste.
SKILL: Ability to work with raw materials and turn them into a dish that respects their original essence.
GENIUS: Ability to explore new, challenging, and innovative perspectives in relation to the culture of fine cuisine with a personal and contemporary style, while maintaining a perfect equilibrium of taste.
BEAUTY: Dish presentation, giving the contents an aesthetic enhancement.
MESSAGE: Ability to communicate a clear message through one’s work and vision.

PHASE III – Local Challenges (June 7^th – December 2017)

The ten selected semifinalists of each of the 21 regions will compete in a Local Semifinals round, where live competitions will be held in each region from June 7 to December 31. During these events, the semifinalists will cook their signature dishes for the exclusive regional jury, composed of independent top chefs who will evaluate the presented dishes based on the five Golden Rules and select a winner.

By the end of December 2017, the 21 Young Chefs from around the globe will be announced as the official finalists, who will move on to the world finals in Milan, Italy. Each finalist will be assigned a “Mentor Chef” (a member of their regional jury), who will provide guidance on how to improve their signature dishes and support them in their preparation for the finals.

PHASE IV – S.Pellegrino Young Chef Finals (June 2018)

In June 2018, the 21 Young Chef finalists will gather in Milan for the Grand Finale event, hosted by S.Pellegrino. The chefs will compete for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 title, with the winner selected by the international Seven Sages panel of judges.

The complete competition regulations and application form will be available on www.sanpellegrino.com

Follow the competition on social media via the hashtag #SPYoungChef.

*THE 21 GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS