A gastronome and restaurateur based in Gozo (European Region of Gastronomy candidate 2026), chef Amand P.Veranneman van Hoeck will be a member of the jury of the 7th European Young Chef Award, to be held in Le Touquet (France) on 20-24 November 2023.
Originally from Belgium, Amand P.Veranneman started his career in the restaurant sector at a very young age. In 1962, while attending CERIA-COOVI International School for Catering and Tourism in Brussels, he worked as a commis de salle at La Reserve, a 5-star sea-side resort in Knokke Le Zoute. He recalls enjoying his job very much and, through hard work, managing to climb up ranks and work with several highly qualified restaurant staff directors, serving high dignitaries and famous people. The skills he acquired in the front-of-house, such as politeness and dedication, turned out to be essential when he realised that cooking was his true vocation. Eager to learn all the secrets of the profession, he joined a brigade as a commis de cuisine, and then worked his way up to chef de partie, Maitre Rotisseurs and, finally, sous chef.
He became a chef when he moved to the islands of Malta and Gozo in 1980, where he opened La Vallette restaurant at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta (1982); founded and co-owned Ta’ Frenc restaurant in Gozo (1982); and owned Auberge Napoleon Victoria/Gharb (1983). Before that, he worked and trained in several High-Class Horeca establishments in Belgium, as well as lectured at ITS School Malta (1982/83).
In 1982, he was a founding member of the Chaine des Rotisseurs Bailliage of Malta from which he received the Commandeur recognition for achieving 40 years of membership and a silver medal. He was also a founder and member for over 24 years of the Gozo Tourism Association, representing the Restaurant Section.
In 1985, Amand became the chef and owner of Auberge Chez Amand in Gozo. On an island where most restaurants were influenced by Italian cuisine, for his new venture he took inspiration from Escoffier’s French cuisine, which he knew very well thanks to his past tutors, the famous Belgian chefs Gaston Clement and Felix Alen.
“I used my imagination and started to create my own menu, striving for originality and elaborating my dishes with naturally-grown raw ingredients from the local farmers and fishermen,” explains Amand. “I had the idea to stick to a bourgeois cuisine, so that my customers could really taste the products as they were.
“For me, the cooking process of each ingredient was extremely important, be it meat, fish, potatoes or vegetables – I was famous for my Lobster Nights, which were not easy to cook to perfection. My recommendation to all aspiring chefs is to know the products and focus on their cooking process, with no need to resort to very sophisticated techniques and tools,” he adds.
To be a successful chef, Amand highlights the importance of using local ingredients and being creative in the preparation, resorting to originality and one’s own imagination: “The presentation for me is crucial. A dish has to be like a painting – in a way, us chefs can be compared to painters, as what we produce and present to our customers are works of art, and we put a similar effort and time into the preparation of our creations.
“I wish good luck to all the finalists to the European Young Chef Award and a great two days of competition! Bring out the best of you and the region you represent, and I am sure we will taste some very creative new dishes. Get prepared, get to work, have courage and, above all, believe in yourselves!” he concludes.
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.
The 7th edition of the European Young Chef Award is organised and promoted by IGCAT and hosted by Hauts-de-France, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2023. The competition will be held at the Lycée Hôtelier Le Touquet on 20-24 November 2023 and is supported by Hauts-de-France 2023 consortium members: Chambre d’Agriculture Hauts de France; CCI Hauts de France; Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat Hauts de France; Hauts de France Tourisme; Plateforme des Organisme du Tourisme; UMIH Union des Métiers et des Industrie de l’Hôtellerie; UniLaSalle; Programme Investissement Avenir; Caisse des dépôts; GIP Forinval Amiens; Région Académique Hauts de France; and Région Hauts de France.
About the World/European Regions of Gastronomy
World/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 founded the World/European Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the World/European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers Award and the international Food Film Menu.