S.Pellegrino on the lookout for top young chefs

The third edition of the competition will feature various novelties aimed to provide contestants with further opportunities to demonstrate and strengthen their skills, while gaining valuable visibility.

The contest will now take place over a span of 18 months, with this next edition lasting from 2017 to 2018. The upcoming year will include preliminary selection rounds and the local competitions, followed by the Grand Finale in June of 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 presented with the extraordinary opportunity to gain global visibility and a significant professional boost, 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 honour 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 in 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 to future competitors.” Among previous winners of the competition is Ireland-based S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015, Mark Moriarty.

To broaden the range and accessibility of the talent scouting, a new region, “Central America–Caribbean” has been added to the competition’s list of included geographic regions, now comprised of 21 different areas from all corners of the world. 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.

How to apply

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, while FineDiningLovers.com – the online magazine for food enthusiasts from all over the world, proudly endorsed by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna – has been designated the official media partner.

Over the course of the contest – 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 assigned individually to the young chefs, providing guidance throughout their exceptional journey.

The global competition includes 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 realised in four phases, namely the online application phase (February 2017 - April 2017), the global shortlist phase (1 June 2017), local challenges phase (7 June - December 2017) and the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Finals phase (June 2018).

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