Each year, the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition scours the world for talented chefs under 30. First, these chefs cook off against their peers within their respective regions. Should they succeed, they progress onwards to the Grand Finale, held in Milan.
In just under a decade, it’s become the pre-eminent worldwide accolade for young chefs: inspiring them to push themselves to new culinary heights, while also showcasing their talents to the jury — legendary chefs at the top of their field.
Now in its sixth edition, the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition is back for another year. And if you’re a young chef hungry to show off what you can do to the rest of the world, it’s time to get your application together and start brainstorming dishes. But before you start dreaming of Milan, you’ve got to ace the Pacific Region competition.
How to prepare your application
The deadline to enter the Pacific Region competition is June 19, which is coming up fast. But first, eligibility. In order to apply, you must be under 30; have worked for at least one year as executive chef, chef de cuisine, sous chef, chef de partie or commis chef; and you need to be currently employed. If that sounds like you, then you’re good to go.
Start by getting some inspiration from previous Australian entrants — like Tatsuya Fuji (Il Bacaro), who served up dry-aged yakitori duck with finger lime and cured egg yolk; or Leidy Carolina Maldonado Ramirez, whose ensalada de payaso, representing her Colombian culture, won her the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award.
“The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy has played a vital role in supporting my culinary career, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunities it has provided me,” Ramirez told Gourmet Traveller last year.
Meet the Pacific Region jury for 2024
One big reason to consider applying for the Pacific competition is that you get a chance to prove yourself to the jury of chefs and show them what you can do. And this year, as per usual, it’s another all-star line-up, a rollcall of some of the most vital figures in Australian hospitality right now.
There’s Rosheen Kaul, head chef of Melbourne’s Etta, Gourmet Traveller’s Victoria Restaurant of the Year; pioneering seafood chef Josh Niland of Sydney’s Saint Peter (and much more); Brigitte Hafner, the chef whose Mornington Peninsula fine diner Tedesca Osteria was Gourmet Traveller’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year; chef Brent Savage, the co-owner of Sydney’s esteemed Bentley Restaurant Group; and Jake Kellie, co-owner and head chef of fire-forward Adelaide restaurant arkhé (and previous winner of the local S. Pellegrino Young Chef in 2018).
So if you’re a chef, seize this opportunity to meet — and hopefully, impress — these local legends, and apply now. And if you’re a restaurateur who wants to show off the talent in your kitchen, convince your young chefs to have a go. They’ll never regret it.
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