Following a day of outstanding displays of culinary prowess by some of the most talented young chefs in the UK and North Europe, Jerome Calayag (Sweden) has been announced as the winner and will be participating in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Finale in 2020. The Grand Finale will take place in Milan on the 8th-9th May 2020.
Jerome Calayag won the judges over with his signature dish, Humble Vegetables.
“I am very excited to represent the UK & North Europe in Milan next year at the global final of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Competition. I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for this evening and I’m grateful for all the support I have received. I’m looking forward to seeing where this competition will take me next.”
The win is even more impressive as this year’s competition saw a huge 2,400 applicants from all over the world were put forward for consideration to the competition, with the level of talent as impressive as ever. Showing initial results of the commitment taken by S.Pellegrino towards gender balance and inclusivity, the percentage of women registered among the candidates increased to more than 10%.
Jerome has won the opportunity to compete for the overall title of S.Pellegrino Young Chef at the final, however a further three young chef’s were also awarded at the semi-final. To reflect S.Pellegrino’s belief in and support of, the transformative power of gastronomy and it’s impact beyond the kitchen, the following three awards have been introduced to the competition to compliment the existing S.Pellegrino Young Chef award:
Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy – Voted for 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.
Timothee Martin-Nadaud (UK) with his signature dish, The World Is Your Oyster
Fine Dining Lovers Community 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.
Nicolas Fagundes Galindo (Ireland) with his signature dish, Flavors And Textures Of Palm And Ox Tongue
S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility – Voted for 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.
Pippa Lovell (UK) with her signature dish What She Found
S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award won by Jerome Calayag – Voted for by the Regional Jury, this award is given to the chef who has unrivaled technical skills, genuine creativity and an exceptional, strong personal belief about Gastronomy.
All of the 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.
This year’s UK and North Europe final also saw Killian Crowley – winner of the 2017 UK & Ireland finalcreate a special, four-course celebratory dinner to mark S.Pellegrino’s 120th anniversary.
The success of the UK & North Europe Final of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Competition was also made possible by Italian Supper Club.
