The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award is back for the third year to find the world’s best young chef, with the Middle East & Africa semi-finals set to take place for the first time in Dubai, UAE.
Young chefs from around the world, including UAE and Saudi Arabia, are invited to submit an application with their signature dish at www.sanpellegrino.com, which will serve as the new digital hub of the competition.
Applying chefs must be 30 years old or younger and have at least one year of experience working in a restaurant as a chef, sous chef or chef de partie. The submission form and process have been further streamlined to manage the application phase in the most effective way possible. The deadline for submitting entries in April 30, 2017.
This year, the Middle East and Africa regional semifinal event, which is scheduled for October 2017, will take place in Dubai for the first time.
Last year, UAE-based chef Gregoire Berger won the regional challenge, and represented the MEA region at the international grand finale in Milan.
Luca Antonelli, area manager – Middle East, S.Pellegrino said in a statement: "We are extremely thrilled to host the Middle East and Africa region semi-final event in Dubai this year.
"Year by year we see an increase in number of applications for the international competition from the Middle East, particularly from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
"Through this initiative, S.Pellegrino aims to provide a platform to young chefs to demonstrate both their talent and skills to the industry and get recognised for what sets them apart from their peers. It is time to push their creative boundaries to innovate, prove their expertise and help them stand out in a highly competitive industry.”
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The third edition will take place over the course of 18 months, with the final event taking place in Milan in June 2018. The extended duration for this edition 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. In addition, applications will now be accepted in English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French and Italian.
All qualified applicants will be divided into 21 regions* according to their geographic origin. Submissions will then be evaluated by ALMA, the international educational and training centre for Italian cuisine, which will select the top 10 semifinalists for each geographic region, according to five “Golden Rules”: Ingredients, Skills, Genius, Beauty and Message.
The 10 selected semifinalists of each of the 21 geographic areas will compete in a local semifinals round, where live competitions will be held in each region from June to December. In June 2018, the 21 finalists will gather in Italy to compete for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 title in front of Seven Sages, a panel of judges compriseing some of the most celebrated culinary masters of the world.
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