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Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 announces regional winner
Grégoire Berger is the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef regional challenge. He will represent the Africa and Middle East region at the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 Grand Finale in Milan, Italy on 13 October 2016.
With his “Kerguelen island legine & Cured Goose, Ponzu Insert, Potato Shell Stuffed With Agria Espuma, Roasted & Sour Jus, Artichoke & Black truffle , Shimeji , Tarragon Powder” dish, Grégoire finished first among nine other contenders. The semifinalists - selected by ALMA, the world’s leading international educational and training centre for Italian Cuisine (www.alma.scuolacucina.it) - competed for a chance to participate in the global finals to win the title of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016.
Five Golden Rules
The regional challenge took place on Tuesday, 26 July at the South African Chef’s Academy where a jury composed of renowned chefs - including Chantel Dartnall (mentor), Meryem Cherkaoui and Christopher Lester - tasted the signature dishes prepared by each of the semifinalists and selected Grégoire Berger as the winner, based on the criteria of five “Golden Rules”: ingredients, skills, genius, beauty and message.
- Ingredients: Successfully selecting the best of what the market has to offer with regards to quality, freshness and uniqueness.
- Skills: Successfully handling and transforming raw materials into a finished dish that respects its original essence.
- Genius: Successfully exploring inedited, inspiring, unexpected prospects/outlooks, connected with fine dining culture with a personal and contemporary style, while maintaining a perfect balance of tastes and shapes.
- Beauty: Dish presentation is part of the charm.
“This dish is a token of gratitude to thank all the chefs with whom I used to work. They taught me everything; from different signature products to techniques. The design is a walk in the woods in autumn, during a rainy day, my favourite atmosphere…” says Grégoire about his winning dish.
“I’m thrilled to represent the Africa and Middle East region in Milan,” adds chef Grégoire. “The Grand Finale in October will be a great opportunity to meet and compete against other young chefs from all over the world.
About S.Pellegrino Young Chef
S.Pellegrino Young Chef is a unique initiative created by the sparkling water, S.Pellegrino, to reaffirm its commitment to the promotion of emerging talents and to enhancing and diffusing fine dining culture throughout the world.
From January to March 2016, thousands of young chefs from across the world submitted their applications together with their signature dish on www.finedininglovers.com for a chance to compete in the 2016 edition of S.Pellegrino Young Chef, the brand’s global talent search to find the best young chef in the world.
S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 will now enter into the last of its four phases. During this final round, each of the 20 finalists from each region of the world will be assigned a “Mentor Chef”, or globally-renowned culinary master, who will advise them on how to improve their signature dishes and help them prepare for the final competition. For the Africa & Middle East region the mentor is Chantel Dartnall, award-winning Head Chef at Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient.
When asked what experience and advice she can offer to a young chef, Chantel says, “Our industry is growing ever more demanding and chefs are continually striving towards creating the next unforgettable dish, in doing this chefs need to be confident, creative and develop their own unique style. As a young chef you have to invest in your own future, it is important to gain as much practical experience in a variety of kitchen environments where you can develop your skills and palate. It takes years of experience before you will become confident enough to start developing a unique personal style that will represent your personality on the plate.”
On October 13, 2016 in Milan, a jury of seven celebrated international chefs known as the Seven Sages - composed by David Higgs, Carlo Cracco, Gaggan Anand, Elena Arzak, Mauro Colagreco, Wylie Dufresne and Roberta Sudbrack - will determine the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016, following the five Golden Rules.
Content related to each local and international phase of the project and to the young chefs and their signature dishes will be published regularly on www.finedininglovers.com.
