How the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy supports young chefs

With the official launch of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25, former chef participants and mentors-turned-judges reflect on their experience during the competition and why pushing your culinary limits is always worth it

When San Pellegrino launched the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition (formerly known as the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Competition) in 2015, San Pellegrino international business unit director Stefano Bolognese told Tatler Dining that they were looking for a way to support the F&B community which has been very kind to them “with a purpose”. He shared: “We are a heritage brand that has been around for more than 100 years and instead of being content [with where we are now], we wanted to look forward and [pioneer initiatives that would give us] more credibility. What better way to do this than to support today’s young chefs who are the future of the dining industry?

Since its launch almost a decade ago, the academy has helped kick-start the careers of the finest young chefs in the world who benefitted from the global community’s mentorships, networking events and global biennial cooking competition.

In case you missed it: Naeum sous chef Ian Goh in the top 3 at the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy 2022-23 competition

Above View from Eatanic Garden, which sits on the 36th floor of Josun Palace

The most recent finals took place in Milan, Italy last October where Singaporean Ian Goh, head chef of Restaurant Inicio, made it into the top 3 with his Heritage Lamb dish, along with French chef Camille Saint-Mleux and Portuguese chef Nelson Freitas, who was declared the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2022-23.

This year, San Pellegrino is doing it again with the official launch of S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2023-24 in Seoul, South Korea last month. Over 40 guests from around the world, including Tatler Singapore, gathered at one-Michelin-starred restaurant Eatanic Garden at Josun Palace hotel to savour a 14-hands lunch feast crafted by the competition’s former chef-mentors and judges, as well as previous young chef participants.

Above San Pellegrino international business unit director Stefano Bolognese welcomes the guests

The mentors-turned-grand-jury were Julien Royer of Odette Restaurant, Louis Han of Naeum, and Jongwon Son of Eatanic Garden, while former participants included Kevin Wong of Seroja, Ian Goh of Restaurant Inicio, Jiwoo Lee of Eatanic Garden and Hyokeong Kim of L’Amant Secret.

Beyond preparing the lavish feast of canapés and a three-course lunch menu (which included a reimagination of Goh’s lamb tart that he served at the cooking competition; Royer Son, Lee and Kim’s entrée of Jeju abalone ‘yukgaejang’ and ‘bibimbap’; and Wong’s Asian-inspired rice and curry dessert), the chefs participated in a talk session and shared their insights on the future of gastronomy and the importance of empowering and challenging today’s young culinary minds.

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Above Entrée of Jeju abalone ‘yukgaejang’ and ‘bibimbap’

Above Kevin Wong’s rice and curry dessert

While all seven chefs agreed that the dining scene has gotten more competitive, they take pride in the fact that the F&B industry has never been more welcoming and collaborative. Recalling his time at San Pellegrino’s 2019-21 competition (where he was in the final three at the global finals), Wong thought that it was going to be fierce, but it turned out to be a friendly community. “Some of us are still very good friends … we constantly communicate and share ideas,” added Wong. He let on that the chefs might speak English, Mandarin, German, French or Italian, but “food is a universal language” that brought them together.

Goh credited his chef-mentor Louis Han of Naeum for encouraging him to join the 2022-23 competition, and chef-judge-turned mentor Dave Pynt for pushing him out of his comfort zone. “The competition helped me become more confident in my cooking and how I interact with people,” he expressed. Since then, the former sous chef at Naeum has grown leaps and bounds in his professional career, and is the current head chef at Restaurant Inicio where he works closely with chef-owner and friend Marcus Tan to craft their progressive European cuisine.

14-hands lunch event at Eatanic Garden, Josun Palace

Photo 1 of 6 14-hands lunch event at Eatanic Garden, Josun Palace

Photo 2 of 6 Odette chef Adam Wan

Photo 3 of 6 Odette team preparing the Canapese

Photo 4 of 6 Canapes served before lunch

Photo 5 of 6 Canapes served before the lunch event

Photo 6 of 6 Canapes served before lunch

Reflecting on his more than a decade of experience in the F&B scene and working at the top tables across the globe, Royer told the young chefs that it is a great time to be a chef now because diners are very much interested in food and cuisine. “People nowadays are focusing on real cooking with great ingredients,” added Royer, and at the end of the day, it boils down to the next generation of chefs to keep diners piqued with “good stories to tell”.

Articulating great food stories—not just verbally but on the plate as well—is part and parcel of participating in San Pellegrino’s academy, where young culinary minds can tap on the expertise of renowned chefs who serve as mentors and grand jury members. Some of these are World’s Best Female Chef 2021 Pía León, who runs acclaimed restaurants Central and Kjolle in Lima, Peru; Vicky Lau, the chef-owner of two-Michelin-starred Tate Dining Room in Hong Kong; and Riccardo Camanini, who helms Michelin-starred Lido 84 at Lake Garda, Italy with his brother. Bolognese added: “The [renowned] chefs believe in [our] purpose of supporting the new generation of chefs… it will also be a reward for them not only because this is a global platform, but I believe they remember how they were when they were younger.”

Above Young chefs who participated in previous competitions

Han, a former competitor and mentor, encouraged young chefs to push their limits with opportunities like the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25. As he put it: “You can discover what kind of chef you wish to become and experience growth”.

Applications for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25 are now open. Young chefs from around the world who are below 30 years old may apply by submitting their signature dishes online (www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com) by June 19, 2024.

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