S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF 2018
Three Kiwis in Australia-Pacific’s 10 Semi-finalists
Auckland, June 7, 2017 – Two Kiwi chefs from New Zealand’s top award winning restaurants and another about to launch his own, have been
selected as semifinalists in S.Pellegrino’s presitigious Young Chef 2018 competition.
Jason Kim, Sous Chef at Auckland’s Sidart restaurant, Robert Fairs from Christchurch’s Roots restaurant and William
Mordido who is embarking on launching his own restaurant Buko, created unforgettable signature dishes for the judges
that saw them plucked from thousands of other entrants from 90 different countries, all looking for a chance to be a
part of S.Pellegrino’s global talent search.
Last year Lesley Hottiaux, founder and chef at prestigious Auckland restaurant Apero Food and Wine, won the Young Chef
Award for the Pacific region and went on to Milan to compete in the finals. Hottiaux, who beat four other Kiwis vying
for the position, says the opportunity gave her and other chefs an incredible international platform to display their
passion and skill.
“I feel very lucky to have participated in S.Pellegrino's Young Chef competition and to have been a part of an amazing
global experience which builds a community within the culinary arts. For a young chef starting out, the event and
support that comes with taking part is invaluable. Young chefs work hard the world over to build their resumes and skill
sets, so to be recognised in an international event offers boundless opportunities."
“It is the third time now that we have the responsibility to select the young chefs for the local finals, but we
continue to be amazed by how much flair and passion for fine food these young talents possess,”says Andrea Sinigaglia,
General Manager of ALMA. “Having to select only ten semi-finalists for each region when you are presented with so many
interesting applications is not at all easy. It is also our responsibility to accompany all candidates in a way that
renders the competition realistic and highly educational. S.Pellegrino Young Chef is not only a chance to emerge, but
also a moment of international encounter, exchange and sharing."
Each young chef’s application and signature dish was evaluated by experts at the World’s Leading International
Educational and Training Centre for Italian Cuisine, ALMA, in charge of the local finalist selection. The experts of
ALMA evaluated the applications in adherence to the five “Golden Rules”: ingredients, skill, genius, beauty and message.
From June to December 2017 the semi-finalists of each region will compete in local challenges. Each region will have a jury composed of leading
independent chefs, who will judge the semi-finalists’ signature dishes and select the best one, based on the five Golden
Rules; ingredients, skill, genius, beauty and message.
For Australia-Pacifc the local challenge will again be held in Melbourne, Australia at the Crown College Culinarium on
11 September 2017.
By the end of December 2017, the 21 Young Chefs from around the globe will be announced as the official finalists, who
will move on to the Grand Finale, to be held in June 2018. Each finalist will be assigned a “Mentor Chef” (a member of their regional jury), who will provide them guidance on how to improve their signature dishes and support
them in their preparation for the international finals.
Exclusive content related to the project will be published regularly on www.sanpellegrino.com and www.finedininglovers.com, the online magazine for food enthusiasts proudly endorsed by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. Follow us!