The wait is over: the boy who won the Grand Final of the international competition S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy 2021, it is Swedish Jerome Ianmark Calayag, regional finalist for the UK and Northern Europe. In the race he brought a very elegant dish, Simple Vegetables, which enhances vegetables often left in the background such as turnips and leeks. Also got on the podium two Italians: Alessandro Bergamo sous chef of Cracco in Milan and Andrea Ravasio, an Italian who moved to Spain.

To the applause of the audience gathered in Milan, he won the 2021 trophy of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy, after being judged by a prestigious jury of chefs made up of Enrico Bartolini, Manu Buffara, Andreas Caminada, Mauro Colagreco, Gavin Kaysen, Clare Smyth. Before that he had passed the regional selections, won in his own category and finally worked on his dish together with his mentor. Then finally, on October 29, he cooked for the jury, who tasted his dish and they chose it based on technical skill, creativity and personal conviction, sure, but also the potential to create positive change in society through food. The best young chef of 2021 is therefore not just a boy "who cooks well" and who has the talent to become someone, but a person who is given the opportunity to play on stages and travel the world and to be like that thanks to this award bearer of a message, a global vision of cooking and in general of thought for the future that we would like. Today the impact of gastronomy is felt far beyond cooking and the goodness of a recipe is no longer. Those who are at the forefront are no longer avant-garde only in the most futuristic techniques, in the search for the best ingredients or in the search for the most delicious taste, but they want to pave the way for tangible social change. S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy and the prize awarded today is just that, an important megaphone for the catering sector but not only and an educational platform to attract, connect and cultivate talent.

High level and great personality, among the very young

"The level was really high, there were beautiful dishes, beautiful creations but above all beautiful concepts" explained just before the proclamation, the participant for Italy and for the whole region of South-East Europe, Alessandro Bergamo of Milan. Satisfied with the success of his dish in the kitchen, “I'm happy with the work done in the kitchen: the dish I wanted to release came out. The dish was there, the taste was there, the presentation was there, the temperature was there. In the kitchen we were organized, clean, beautiful ". Also satisfied with the work done in the kitchen with the mentor chef Antonia Klugman. “You see guys who are close-knit, united, all kind, polite, all with personalities and ideas. It's nice to see that we all have our own path in mind and it's not easy to be when you're so young ”. Among the participants, above all, there are many brigade boys, sous chefs and only a few chefs who already manage a kitchen, a sign that their cooking philosophy is built right from the beginning, from the very first steps of their career and that therefore it is fundamental to direct it in an ethical direction from the beginning. The message is part of the dish and the finished product. Also in Alessandro's plate, Is it better an egg today or a chicken tomorrow ?. “Made with chicken, corn and potatoes. With the idea that products that are simple and accessible to everyone can make haute cuisine. And bring a message of inclusiveness even in this. Part of the proclamation, also the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thinking Award, dedicated specifically to the meaning of the dish and the idea behind the culinary creation – to win Andrea Ravasio, an Italian who has worked in Spain for years and is sous chef of Zumaque in Puerto de La Cruz, Tenerife.

If not now, when?

Through the Academy, the goal is to identify, connect and nurture the next generation of chefs, regardless of where they come from, their gender or their ethnicity. The S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition, which has come to an end today for this year, is therefore only the beginning, because the selection of the most talented young chefs in the world is only one step on a journey that aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience. professional and human, networking, spreading values ​​such as inclusiveness and sustainability. Because the power of gastronomy exists and together you can really change the world, one dish at a time.