S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy announces the initial lineup of young candidates selected for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25, (SPYCA) the global initiative to discover and mentor the most talented young chefs under 30 years of age worldwide.
A total of 10 talented bright young chefs have been selected for the 2024 Pacific Region S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition.
The winner, who will be announced in Melbourne on Wednesday, 9th October, will then go on to compete at the Grand Finale in Milan in 2025, an opportunity that provides young stars with the chance to showcase their skills in front of a team of talented judges.
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition is an annual event to support a personal vision for the world of food, demonstrating how food can have a positive impact on society at large.
A SPYCA alumni, Jake Kellie, Owner and Executive Chef of Arkhé, in South Australia is ‘super pumped’ to be a juror of the 2024 Australian Pacific Region, S.Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year Academy.
As the S.Pellegrino Australian Pacific region finalist in 2018, Jake Kellie went onto to compete in the grand finals in Italy, where he was placed second in the world.
Jake Kellie travelled through Italian customs with 30 pigeons in suitcase and put a dish together that showcased Australia and Australian indigenous produce.
His advice for young chefs is “to showcase yourself on a plate and to be honest and genuine as to what you want to cook.”
Devoted and desiring to make the world a better place through ethical cuisine, these 10 young chefs have been selected for their creative and aspirational dishes. They have created dishes with flair, forte and something important to say.
The 2024 Pacific Region S.Pellegrino Young Chefs and their dishes are:
- Kimberly Tang with her dish My Mother’s Tze Chair (Delaware North, Marvel Stadium, Omnia, VIC)
- Juan Taborda with his dish Maizero (Quay Restaurant, NSW)
- Dylan Smith with his dish, Natives of Saddle Lamb (Scott Pickett Events, VIC)
- KyongHo Choi with his dish bacon and cabbage or pork and kimchi (Omnia, VIC)
- Joshua Ross, with his dish Wild venison, artichoke and smoked deer milk puree (Twenty Eight Eatery, NZ)
- Santiago Sansone with his dish Sweet memories (Four Seasons Hotel, NSW)
- James Soltau with his dish Grandfather’s farm (Central Coast Leagues Club, NSW)
- Siriporn Boonsin with her Assiette from the Sea (Four Seasons Hotel, NSW)
- Vinayak Shah with his Hapuka with Fenugreek and Alliums (The Sugar Club, NZ)
- Kogwoussougo Ouedraogo with her Harmony of vegetables in texture (Melbourne
River Cruises, VIC)
The winner of the Pacific Region Finalists will then compete in Milan, Italy in 2025 and will be judged by a stellar line-up of international chefs.
The 2024/2025 global jury has been announced and includes Christophe Bacquié, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and chief owner of two-Michelin-starred La Table des Amis, Jeremy Chan chef and co-founder of Ikoyi, Antonia Klugmann chef and owner of one-Michelinstarred L’Argine a Vencò, Peruvian chef Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura, Niki Nakayama chef and the owner of two-Michelin-starred n/naka restaurant in Los Angeles, Mexican chef and owner of Rosetta, Elena Reyegadas and Julian Royer chef and owner at Odette, Singapore.
Awards:
Regional Finals are a huge opportunity for exposure and career support as the young chefs will present their signature dishes to renowned Australian chef jury, Jake Kellie (Arkhé), Josh Niland (Saint Peter), Brent Savage (Bentley Restaurant Group), Rosheen Kaul (Chinese-ish author) and Brigitte Hafner (Tedesca Osteria) in charge of selecting the regional winners of four awards:
Collectively jurors will judge dishes based on technical skill, creativity, and personal belief, as well as the candidates’ potential to create positive change in society through food.
Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award: Voted by the online Fine Dining Lovers community – this award will be for the young chef who best represents their personal belief within their dish.
S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility: Voted by an internationally recognised voice on sustainability in food – this dish will represent the principle that food is best when it’s the result of socially responsible practices.
Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy: Voted by mentors who represent 50 countries around the world – the winning dish will be the one that reflects a connection between different cultures on the plate, celebrating a global approach to gastronomy.
S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award: Voted by the esteemed panel of five local jurors – this winning chef must demonstrate unrivalled technical skills as well as genuine creativity. They will have also displayed a strong personal belief about Gastronomy which will convince the Jury about their ability to become a catalyst for positive change.
To discover the full list of candidates and know more about the initiative please visit: https://www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com/.
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