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Following a day of competitive cooking during the Iberian and Mediterranean Countries regional heat of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2020, Albert Manso has been announced as the best young chef in the region.
On 16 September ten of the best young chefs in Spain, Greece, Israel and Portugal faced off in the live cooking competition presenting their signature dishes to the local jury of professional chef judges, Lucia Freitas (Spain), Fina Puigdevall (Spain), Enrique Sa Pessoa (Portugal), Ettore Botrini (Greece) and Yossi Shitrit (Israel) at the Hotel W in Barcelona.
However, It was the sous chef from Tickets bar in Barcelona's signature dish of quail and wine which managed to convince the judges of his culinary skills on the day. Manso was also guided through this regional competition by his chef mentor Fran Agudo, who admitted that the standard of the competition had been "very high."
Manso will now participate in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Finale in 2020, using the following months to hone and perfect his dish under mentor chef Henrique Sá Pessoa.
Albert Manso was not alone on the medal podium, with three of his peers also being given special recognition with three awards highlighting the transformative power of gastronomy and its impact beyond the kitchen.
All of the young chef winners of the additional three awards will also be invited to attend the Grand Finale, affording them another opportunity to network with some of the biggest names in gastronomy from around the globe and the chance to win the global award in their category.
Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy
Voted by the Regional Mentors, the winner of this award will produce a dish that represents diversity and recognises the beauty of different cultures coming together to create something fresh and exciting.
Winner: Oscar Dayas Rodriguez from Gran Cararia in Spain with signature dish “The transhumance, from the coast to the summit”.
Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award
Voted for by the online Fine Dining Lovers community, this award will be for the young chef who best represents their personal belief within their dish.
Winner: Andrea Ravasio from Adeje, Spain with signature dish “Peasant’s Sunday”.
S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility
Voted by Food Made Good, the internationally recognized voice on Sustainability in food, this dish will represent the principle that that food is best when it is the result of sustainable practices.
Winner: Mengxin Zhou from Igualada, Spain with signature dish “The Trout – Schubert”.
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