Joan Roca, Jury President for the European Young Chef Award 2016

10 Young European chefs representing 10 Regions of Gastronomy have been selected as finalists for the 1st edition of the European Young Chef Award. Together they will join celebrity chef Joan Roca and an international jury in a competition aimed to highlight the importance of local food products and cultures.

The finalists attending the competition come from:

  • Catalonia, European Region of Gastronomy 2016
  • East Lombardy, European Region of Gastronomy 2017
  • Riga-Gauja, European Region of Gastronomy 2017
  • Aarhus-Central Denmark Region, European Region of Gastronomy 2017
  • North Brabant, European Region of Gastronomy 2018
  • Galway-West of Ireland, European Region of Gastronomy 2018
  • Sibiu, European Region of Gastronomy 2019
  • South Aegean, European Region of Gastronomy 2019
  • Kuopio, European Region of Gastronomy 2020 (candidate)
  • Slovenia, European Region of Gastronomy 2020 (candidate)

The European Young Chef Award is promoted by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT), and the 2016 edition is hosted by the Escola Universitària d’Hoteleria I Turisme de Sant Pol de Mar (EUHTStPOL). The event is being held within the framework of Catalonia, European Region of Gastronomy 2016 and on the 50th anniversary of EUHTStPol.

The aims of the Award are to:

Promote innovations on traditional cuisine

Local food cultures are an important source of innovation. Traditions developed over centuries form the vital ‘DNA’ of food cultures and regional gastronomy as well as local knowledge is therefore an important potential source of innovative products and experiences.

Highlight sustainable food cultures
Sustainable local, regional and global food systems are important for all our futures. The European Young Chef Award therefore aims to stimulate debate about sustainable food and gastronomy practices, production and consumption.

Create future ambassadors for local food products
Local food products are often unique to the territory from which they come. Likewise, regional culture creates distinction that underline the added-value of local products. By giving visibility to emerging chefs that support local products, it is hoped to contribute to a more sustainable and better quality of food experiences.

The competition is followed by a Round Table event where celebrity chefs, Joan Roca and Carme Ruscalleda will talk about their role in mentoring young chefs.

For more information contact: info@igcat.org