Meet the winners of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy
Discover the results of the Regional Finals as they happen.
On this page, you’ll find news of the winners of the 15 Regional Finals of S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25. Each winner, chosen by a local jury of renowned chefs, will progress to the Grand Finale in Milan in 2025 to cook again, for the chance to be crowned the best young chef in the world.
In addition, three collateral prizes will also be allocated at each Regional Final:
The S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award judged by The Sustainable Restaurant Association (The SRA), a global organisation dedicated to driving positive social and environmental change in hospitality since 2019. At the heart of this mission is their Food Made Good Standard, the world’s largest sustainability certification for the industry. In collaboration with S.Pellegrino Young Chefs, the award was created to support, recognise and celebrate sustainability practices, empowering chefs to use their influence to build a better food system for all. The SRA developed eight key judging criteria: resource use, climate impact, biodiversity, food waste, nutrition, collaboration, advocacy and innovation, using these to score each of the young chefs’ dishes and award a winner for the Social Responsibility award across all 15 regional finals.
The Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award, voted for by the online Fine Dining Lovers community, this award will go to the Young Chef who presents the dish that is most consistent with the personal belief that inspire him/her.
The Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award, voted for by Mentors, the winner of this award must produce a dish that represents the culinary heritage of his/her Region. The dish should highlight both these traditional culinary practices and the Young Chef’s personal modern vision.
The Regional Finals will continue throughout the rest of 2024 and into early 2025, with this page being updated accordingly, as the winners are chosen.
LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES
LATIN AMERICAN & CARRIBEAN
Gabriela Sarmiento, representing Panama, has been named the best young chef in the Latin America & Caribbean region at the Regional Final held in Lima, Peru.
Sarmiento stood out among the most talented young chefs in the region for her skill, dedication and ambition, and will travel to the Grand Finale in Milan in 2025. The chef convinced the prestigious Local Jury composed of chefs Janaína Torres, Mario Castrellón, Gabriela Cámara, James Berckemeyer and Dolli Irigoyen with her signature dish, La malquerida.
Speaking after her win, Sarmiento said: "Today doors are opening for my professional career and connections with very high-ranking chefs, as well as with the rest of the competitors who are great cooks, with great talent, demonstrated during the competition." She also won the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award.
Two other chefs were also awarded at the Regional Final, winning collateral prizes, with the opportunity to compete for the global titles to be announced at the Grand Finale in 2025: Rafael Bayona (Peru) won the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award for his dish, Amazonas, and Daniela Espinoza (Argentina) won the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award for her dish, Costumbres rotas.
UK
Ben Miller, from restaurant Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal in London, is the winner of the UK Regional Final for his dish Ode to Sam Yee and will compete for the global title in Milan.
Originally from Canada, Miller impressed the Local Jury of chefs Santiago Lastra, Nokx Majozi, Lorna McNee, and Adam Smith with his dish of roasted duck breast and confit leg, with a foie gras ‘siu mai.’
Speaking after his win had been announced at an awards ceremony in London, Miller said: “It feels like I'm a small-town kid competing on the world stage. This is the biggest competition for chefs under 30. To win the award is a huge honour.”
Miller also picked up the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award for a second time, having won it for Canada at the last edition.
“For me, that's like the chefs’ chef award, it's a mentor award, that's the one that the chefs respect the most. Having won this one in the past in Canada, and having won it a second time here in London is unbelievable and a privilege.”
The S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award was won by Sude Hancher for her dish, Cauliflower and halibut, while Kurtus Auty won the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his dish, Courgette dive.
US
Garrett Brower is the winner of the US Regional Final, wowing the Local Jury of chefs Valerie Chang, Curtis Duffy, Aisha Ibrahim, Ayesha Nurdjaja, and Junghyun Park in New York with his signature dish of quail stuffed with Chesapeake oysters.
Speaking about the dish, Brower said: “By celebrating the products and cuisine of the Chesapeake Bay I hope to generate interest in its preservation. The modern Chesapeake pantry must reflect current sustainable harvests and farmed oysters exemplify this expectation.”
Brower will now go on to compete against 14 other young chef hopefuls at the Competition Grand Finale in Milan in 2025.
At the awards reveal at Lavan 641 Midtown in Manhattan, two other young chefs also emerged victorious: Nicolas Lopez won the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his dish, Pork with hints of the sea, while Adrien Calmels had a hugely successful night, picking up both the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy and S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility awards for his dish, Summer in Oregon.
FRANCE
Antonis Avouri is the winner of the France Regional Final and will go on to compete at the Grand Finale in 2025.
Avouri won over the Local Jury of chefs Clément Bécherel, Alexandre Mazzia, David Toutain, Glenn Viel and Georgiana Viou, with his signature dish, The consequences of our actions, a creation intended to highlight the impact of global warming on the Mediterranean region.
“It’s a pescatarian dish, a combination of the French culture where I live now and the culture of Cyprus where I come from. We, as the new generation of chefs, must enlighten ourselves and teach people wisely through our cooking how climate change has affected us, the nature and all the species of the planet and how to start respecting nature and her resources,” Avouri said of the dish.
The S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award was won by Alberto Suardi for his dish, Wild and roots; the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award went to Yunkyung Cho for her dish, Oceanic revelations; and the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award was won by Simone D'Alonzo for his dish, Quanto sei bella Roma.
PACIFIC
Kyongho Choi, representing Australia, is the winner of the Pacific Regional Final. He impressed the Local Jury of chefs Shane Delia, Brigitte Hafner, Rosheen Kaul, Josh Niland and Brent Savage with his dish, Bacon and cabbage and pork and kimchi, which he’ll now cook again at the Grand Finale.
Choi, who was born in South Korea, but grew up in Ireland, created the dish as a tribute to the two cultures. “I went from having rice with lots of different sides (banchan) such as kimchi, to having a meat and two vegetables,” he said.
Representing New Zealand, young chef Joshua Ross won both the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility and Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy awards for his dish of wild venison, artichoke and smoked deer milk puree, offal crepinettes, endive leaves, grilled quince and beetroot jus.
Siriporn Boonsin, representing Australia, picked up the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for her dish, Assiette from the sea.
CANADA
Victoria Rinsma is the winner of the Canada Regional Final, booking her place at the Grand Finale with her signature dish, Across the Sea and Home Again.
The creation, which Rinsma says “takes inspiration from my grandmother’s impactful love for cooking transmitted to me as a young girl, to the reflection of my culinary career,” was chosen by the Local Jury of chefs Jason Bangerter, Nuit Regular and Normand Laprise as the standout dish.
The S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award was claimed by Sébastien Rémillard for his dish, The Evolution of My Life; the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award went to Clement Cavoret for his dish, Deerly Not Wasted; and the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award was won by Mary Loiusse Isabelle Yap for a dish of duck sinigang with tamarind consommé.
MAINLAND OF CHINA
Ya Min Liu is the winner of the Mainland of China Regional Final and will have the chance to cook his signature dish, Symphony of Layered Flavours, again at the Grand Finale in Milan.
The Local Jury of chefs Jacqueline Qiu, Stefan Stiller, DeAille Tam, Rong Wu and Jingye Xu were impressed with his dish of “numbing and spicy” turbot.
“It seems that the concept of ‘numbing and spicy’ is not widely known internationally. I hope to introduce the concept and let more people understand the charm of Chinese cuisine and the unique flavours it offers,” said Liu of the dish.
The S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award went to chef Hong Fei Bi for his vegan dish, Suzhai, while Jin Wang was the recipient of both the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy and Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Awards for his dish, Sprout Regeneration.
ASIA
Ardy Ferguson, representing Hong Kong, is the winner of the Asia Regional Final with his dish, Archipelago Celebration, inspired by the “vibrant culinary traditions of Indonesia” and the gastronomic offerings of Hong Kong.
The dish, an “interpretation of the iconic Sumatran dish sate padang featuring a deeply flavourful grilled Hong Kong duck,” according to the chef, impressed the Local Jury of chefs Alessandro Guardiani, Tam Debhakam, Vicky Cheng, Johanne Siy, Richie Lin, Vicky Lau and David Lai. He will now cook again at the Grand Finale in 2025.
Also victorious at the Asia Regional Final was chef Simone Scarparo, representing Thailand, who picked up the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award for his dish Hidden in the Beeswax; William Yee, representing Singapore, who won the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award for his dish, Childhood Flavours of ‘da pai dang (Malaysian food street)’; and Aswin Kumar Karanat Subramanian, representing the Maldives, who picked up the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his dish, Shells Break the Shell.
NORTH EUROPE
Young chef Noah Wynants almost made it a clean sweep at the North Europe Regional Final, picking up the main title, as well as both the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award and the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award, for his signature dish, Dutch ‘rendang.’
Wynants, representing the Netherlands, won over the Local Jury of chefs Soenil Bahadoer, Søren Selin, Anika Madsen, Helena Puolakka and Adam Dahlberg, the mentors, and Fine Dining Lovers readers with his plant-based dish, which he says shows that “worldly flavours” are possible with Dutch produce. He also wants to promote sustainability and support local farmers and suppliers with his rendang, which is based on the classic dish from Southeast Asia.
He will now go on to compete for all three global titles at the Grand Finale in 2025.
The remaining collateral prize, the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award, was won by Luca Nielsen, representing Denmark, for his dish, Up for a Change?
IBERIAN COUNTRIES
José María Borrás is the winner of the Iberian Countries Regional Final, triumphing with his signature dish, Langosto y Cochinillo Balear, highlighting the gastronomic traditions of Mallorca and Menorca.
The dish impressed the Local Jury of chefs Rui Silvestre, Quique Dacosta, Martina Puigvert Puigdevall and José Avillez, and the mentors, who in addition awarded the young chef the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award. He will now go on to cook again at the Grand Finale.
The two remaining collateral prizes, the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award and the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award, were won by chefs Cristina Gómez Manarel and Alessandro Bartoli, respectively, for dishes melding Spanish and Italian influences.
CENTRAL EUROPE
Emilia Montz, representing Germany, is the winner of the Central Europe Regional Final, with her signature dish, Russian Ballet.
The dish, which Montz says is inspired by Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, impressed the local jury of Daniel Gottschlich, Julia Komp, Rosina Ostler, Heinz Reitbauer and The Duc Ngo, who put her through to the Grand Finale, where she will face off against 14 other global finalists.
“I want to infuse mostly male-dominated Michelin-starred cuisine with femininity and lightness,” added Montz.
The winners of the collateral awards were Patrick Ködel, representing Germany, who won the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award for his dish, Heart of the Mountain; Marc-Dominik Stern, also representing Germany, who picked up the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for an elevated take on tikka masala; and Yvonne Rauscher, representing Austria, who won the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award for her dish, The Colourful Waldviertel.
AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST & SOUTH ASIA
Young chef Luckson Mare, representing South Africa, is the winner of the Africa, Middle East and South Asia Regional Final, triumphing with a dish of duck, sweet potato and matungulu, a type of plum.
Mare impressed the Local Jury of chefs Akmal Anuar, Bertus Basson and Roaya Saleh, who chose him as the chef who will represent the region and cook again at the Grand Finale in 2025.
Zante Neethling, also representing South Africa, won the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award for her dish, Tribute to the Khoi-Khoin Taras; Robin Höfer, representing the UAE, picked up the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award for his dish, The Lamb of Gratitude; and Mahmoud Ali, representing Ghana, won the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his dish, Middle Eastern Fusion.
WEST EUROPE
Theo Kopp, representing Luxembourg, is the winner of the West Europe Regional Final and will now go on to compete again at the Grand Finale.
Kopp won over the local jury of chefs Franck Giovannini, Silvia Manser, Christian Nickel, Manon Schenck and Thijs Vervloet , with his interpretation of Potée Lorraine, based on pork and mirabelle plum, a dish he says reminds him of childhood Sundays with his grandparents.
Kopp will battle it out against 14 other young hopefuls in Milan in 2025.
The S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award was won by Davide Rauco, representing Switzerland, with a dish of barbecued lettuce, apricots, leaks, roots and salmon roe.
Clementine Perradin, also representing Switzerland, won the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award for a dish based on Neirivue trout, while Davide Calabrese, representing Luxembourg, picked up the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his vegetarian dish of asparagus, raviolo and rhubarb.
SOUTH-EAST EUROPE & MEDITERRANEAN
Pablo Falcón is the winner of the South-East Europe and Mediterranean Regional Final with his dish Haiku to the Mountain.
The young chef, representing Slovenia, was inspired to create the dish based on roe deer, by the landscape around his current place of work, Hiša Franko, and his mother’s poetry.
“I feel overwhelmed, super excited and super happy of course, and feeling like I can do something important,” said Falcón after his win.
The local jury of Victor Borg, Thanos Feskos, Alexandru Iacob, Igor Jagodic and Iwona Niemczewska all agreed that Falcon’s dish was the best among the creations of 15 young hopefuls and he will now go on to cook again at the Grand Finale in Milan in 2025.
The winners of the three collateral awards were Vadean Alin, representing Romania, who won the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award for his dish Through the Eyes of a Fish; Andrea Amore, representing Malta, who picked up the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award for his dish, Áljotta' Maltese Fish Soup; and Nikola Šorak, representing Serbia, who picked up the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his fantastical dish, A Play About Sava Savanovic, the First Serbian Vampire.
