Executive Chef and pioneer of vegetable-led fine dining, Xavier Pellicer, will serve as Chair of the Jury for the 9th European Young Chef Award, taking place in Catalonia (Spain) from 24–28 November 2025.
Born in Barcelona in 1966 to a Catalan father and a French mother, Pellicer’s professional journey has evolved from haute cuisine to a deeply personal vision centred on vegetables, plants, and healthy eating. His culinary formation took him first to France, where he trained under such figures as Jacques Maximin. He then returned to Spain and, in 1993, joined the brigade at the legendary three-Michelin-starred Catalan restaurant El Racó de Can Fabes, working under the mentorship of Santi Santamaria. Later, he became executive chef at the Barcelona restaurant ABaC, where, under his leadership, it earned two Michelin stars.
Having honed his skills in fine dining, Pellicer began to channel his philosophy around sustainability, biodiversity, and plant-centric cooking. He studied biodynamic agriculture and Ayurvedic nutrition, integrating those ideas into his cuisine. Today, his eponymous Xavier Pellicer Restaurant in Barcelona stands as the embodiment of his culinary convictions: seasonal, vegetable-led cooking that emphasises flavour, well-being, and a deep connection to the earth.
The restaurant has earned recognition in the world of “green gastronomy”, and Pellicer himself is widely regarded as a pioneer of the vegetable-first fine dining movement. His work has been recognised internationally, including being named “Best Vegetable Restaurant of the World 2018 and 2019” by the We’re Smart Green Guide, receiving the National Gastronomy Award in 2024 from the Acadèmia Catalana de Gastronomia i Nutrició for his outstanding contribution to author-style gastronomy, and featuring in the Michelin Guide (Spain) as a leading vegetable-centric, healthy restaurant.
Through these achievements, Pellicer has established himself as a pioneer of fine dining that elevates vegetables, plants, and healthy living—not as a compromise on taste or sophistication, but as a deliberate, gourmet choice.
Reflecting on the significance of the European Young Chef Award 2025 in Catalonia, and its role in inspiring young chefs to innovate while respecting tradition, sustainability, and the integrity of ingredients, Pellicer shares:
“The new generation of chefs carries the responsibility of rethinking gastronomy — making it more sustainable, conscious and connected to the land that inspires it.”
About IGCAT’s European Young Chef Award
The European Young Chef Award is an annual competition organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) that gathers young culinary talents from the awarded and candidate European Regions of Gastronomy. Selected each year through local contests, finalists to the European Young Chef Award compete by innovating traditional recipes from their regions using local ingredients.
About the World & European Regions of Gastronomy
The World Regions of Gastronomy and the European Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to strengthen food security through the celebration of distinctive food cultures; create employment by stimulating creativity and gastronomic innovation; nourish children and adults through culinary and cultural education; driving environmental sustainability in tourism, hospitality and agricultural sectors; supporting balance and sustainable tourism practices; highlighting and supporting expertise from within rural and urban communities, creating connections and sharing good practices; and contributing to community health and well-being.
About IGCAT
IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance of protecting and promoting distinct regional food, culture, arts and natural assets as part of sustainable and balanced tourism and development strategies. This is essential to safeguarding our planet, health, wellness and local economies.
IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.
IGCAT is the official secretariat for the World Region of Gastronomy and the European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Foodie Websites Award and the international Food Film Menu.
