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Applications are now open for the highly anticipated forthcoming edition of S.Pellegrino Young Chef, the most exciting global talent search for the best young chef in the world.
Online Applications are Now Open, Click Here to Participate
Chefs de cuisine, chefs de partie, sous chefs and commis, aged 30 or under, from around the world, with at least one year's work experience, are invited to apply for their chance to be part of the internationally renowned competition.
Applications will be accepted in English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French and Italian. However, all candidates are required to understand and speak English, as it is the official language of the competition.
In order to apply, young chefs will need to submit a recipe and photos of a "signature dish" (which can be a first or second course, but not an appetiser or dessert), basic personal information, their CV and answer a few simple questions, such as “What are your professional dreams for the future?” and “What would you like to express with your dish?”
This third edition comes with some exciting new changes, which we've summarised below to ensure you are up to speed before filling in your application. Be sure to apply online with your signature dish to start your international culinary journey today. Applications close on 30 April.
Will you be crowned S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018?
1. Competition Duration and Phases
The new edition will be spaced over 18 months, instead of 12.
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 online registration will take place over a three-month period, as usual, from 1 February to 30 April 2017.
Each application will be evaluated by ALMA, Italy's International School of gourmet cooking, throughout May. Up to 10 finalists will be shortlisted from each of the regions in the competition, creating a “Global Shortlist” according to the following five criteria (Golden Rules):
a. INGREDIENTS: Ability to select the best ingredients the market can offer in terms of quality, freshness and uniqueness, in order to achieve taste excellence.
b. SKILL: Ability to work with raw materials and turn them into a dish that respects their original essence.
c. GENIUS: Ability to explore new, challenging, and innovative perspectives in relation to the culture of fine cuisine with a personal and contemporary style, while maintaining a perfect equilibrium of taste.
d. BEAUTY: Dish presentation, giving an aesthetic enhancement of its contents.
e. MESSAGE: Ability to communicate a clear message through one's work and vision.
The global shortlisted young chefs will then compete in live local finals from 7 June until the end of 2017, in their corresponding local regions, which will determine the finalist for each region.
From January to June 2018, finalists will have extra time to perfect their dishes under their mentor's guidance in preparation for the Grand Finale, which will be held in Milan, Italy on 12 and 13 May 2018. There, the 21 Young Chef finalists will cook for a panel of the world’s best chefs, known as the Seven Sages, who will name the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018.
Event dates and locations may change: any changes will be published on www.sanpellegrino.com and communicated directly to those concerned.
2. Competition Geography
This year, there will be a few geographical changes to the competition's global reach.
1. Following a high level of local interest, there will be a new dedicated region for Central America and the Caribbean making the total number of regions in the competition 21 instead of 20.
Central America–Caribbean will include the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, Barbados, Saint Barthelemy, Bermuda, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, South Georgia and the Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Martinique, Montserrat, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Virgin Islands (British)
2. The Scandinavia region has also been extended to include Estonia, Lettonia and Lithuania in addition to the existing countries, which were included in the region from last year: Bouvet Island, Denmark, Finland, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
3. Applications will be Accepted in Five Languages
The official language of the competition is English; candidates are therefore mandatorily required to be able to express themselves in English, both spoken and written. In order to facilitate and speed up the registration process, applicants are permitted to submit their applications also in one of the following languages: French and Italian "the languages of cuisine" and Spanish and Chinese Mandarin (only for China full registration can be sent in Chinese Mandarin to: SanpellegrinoYoungChefChina@waters.nestle.com) "in order to communicate with a larger volume of young chefs."
4. Signature Dish Requirements
To turn up the pressure this year, Young Chefs will have a maximum cooking time of five hours in which to prepare their signature dishes during the live competitions, instead of last year's six hours.
Competitors will also be permitted to bring ready-made canned food, fermented items, powders and dried items with them to create their dish if needed, however, marinades and bases must be made on site.
Each young chef will be tasked with creating a signature dish using ethically sourced ingredients that comply with the approved ingredients list, as well as being within the permitted budget as set out in the competition rules.
Will the next S.Pellegrino Young Chef be You?
Be sure to apply online from 1 February 2017 to 30 April 2017 (check your eligibility in the new edition's competition rules) for your opportunity to take your culinary skills to the next level, work with some of the greatest chefs in the world and take away lasting memories and friends.
In the meantime, we invite you to sit back and get a taste of what’s to come, as we re-live a few of the spectacular moments from last year’s competition in the above video.
Make sure to follow all the action on our social channels using #SPYoungChef
