San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024/25 UK Finalists Revealed

S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is excited to announce  the line-up of young candidates selected for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25, the global initiative to discover and mentor the most talented young chefs under 30 years of age worldwide.

Thousands of chefs from all over the world applied for the competition, inspired by the opportunity to connect and learn directly from the most influential members of the gastronomic world and to demonstrate their unique creativity and vision. Among them, 165 passed the first selection process and are now ready to show their talent and passion during the Regional Finals.

The UK regional final, which takes place on the 25^{th of} September at Le Cordon Bleu, will give 9 young chefs the opportunity to present a signature dish to a local jury of renowned chefs, made up of Adam Smith, Lorna McNee, Nokuthula Majozi and Santiago Lastra.

The Regional Finalists for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition in the United Kingdom are:

1. Joshua Wilde is Head Chef at Fare Eatery in Wokingham
2. Swann Auffray is Sous Chef at the Little Chartroom in Edinburgh
3. Kurtus Auty is Head Chef at Bosun’s Restaurant in York
4. Ben Miller is Sous Chef at Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
5. Sam Heaven is Chef de Partie at The Fat Duck in Bray
6. Connor Anderson is Chef de Partie at The Three Chimney’s in Skye
7. Wayne Munn is Sous Chef at Langdale Chase Hotel in Windermere
8. Sude Hancher is Chef de Partie at Cornus in London
9. Audrey Park is Chef de Partie at Sketch in London

The jury is in charge of selecting the regional winners of four awards:

• S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award – the Local Jury of each regional competition will evaluate the presented dishes based on the three Golden Rules, selecting one young chef at each Regional Final who displays the strongest technical skills, genuine creativity and an exceptional personal belief about gastronomy;
• 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 – 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 Fine Dining Lovers readers, this award will be for the young chef who best represents their personal beliefs with a signature dish.

Each young chef’s application and their signature dish was evaluated by culinary experts at the World’s Leading International Educational and Training Centre for Italian Cuisine, ALMA. ALMA’s selection process hinged on three key criteria: technical skills, creativity and a personal belief in the transformative power of gastronomy to make a positive change in society through food.

“S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition surprises us with every edition and it is not a given since we have been collaborating with them since the first edition. Candidates outdo themselves from year to year, guided by passion and commitment,” said Matteo Berti, Head of Education of ALMA. “The selection process was not easy, but now it’s up to the shortlisted candidates to show their talents throughout the course of the competition. The best of luck to all of them!”

The regional winners of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award will go on to compete for the global title of S.Pellegrino’s Young Chef of the Year 2024.

To discover the full list of candidates and know more about the initiative please visit: https://www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com/.