S.Pellegrino Young Chef’s Finalists Arrive in Milan

UPDATE 14/05/2018: The wait is over - the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef has finally been crowned! Discover which rising star took home the honor of winning S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 and watch all the young chefs of the competition in the 4 live streaming episodes covering the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 Grand Finale: a true display of extraordinary passion, skill and determination of the new talents in the world of gastronomy.

Milan is the center of attention as the world’s most promising young chefs arrive in the city for the Grand Finale of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018, the most exciting global talent search to find the best young chef in the world. A highly anticipated occasion for professionals and foodies alike, the 21 young finalists, each of their mentor chefs and the Seven Sages (the jury member chefs), have started turning up in Milan ahead of the very final stage of the competition, to take place on the 12^th and 13^th of May.

Coinciding with Milan Food Week, the occasion is ripe for the arrival of the top chefs from all the corners of the globe who will play their part in the discovery and support of the next generation of gastronomy.

This exciting event will be covered in 4 live streaming episodes, so that you can get the live view of all the finalists as they present their signature dishes, up to the very first glimpse of the winner. The live stream of the various finalists will take place over 3 episodes at these hours (Milan local time):

• May 12th: 6:00 AM – 7:10 AM ET

Live stream of the Awards Ceremony of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 will be held between:

• May 13th: 1:00 PM – 2:10 PM ET

RISING STARS IN GASTRONOMY: THE JOURNEY SO FAR 

The young chef finalists have been waiting for this moment since their application in the competition almost a year ago which opened in April 2017. Out of all the applicants, a total of 210 candidates across 21 different geographic areas (10 semi-finalists for each area) were selected. From here, with regional finals taking place all over the world over 6 months, they were narrowed down to the current 21 finalists.

Tensions run high as candidates run through all the finer points of their signature dishes over the next few days to ensure they are the perfect reflection of their skill, talent and vision. What will be the deciding factor for the winning signature dish?

NAMES OF DISTINCTION: THE MENTORS AND JURY 

Each finalist was assigned a mentor chef of the highest calibre and distinction in the world of fine dining. These mentors have been assisting the finalists in their preparations to fine-tune their signature dishes, and will no doubt be passing on some final pieces of precious advice over the next couple of days. Mentors are also tasked with announcing the Acqua Panna Taste of Authenticity Award during the Grand Finale.

The Seven Sages also arriving in Milan consists of the elite chef panel with Virgilio Martínez, Margarita Forés, Brett Graham, Annie Féolde, Dominique Crenn, Ana Roš and Paul Pairet. On them rests the huge responsibility of crowning the best young chef in the world. Some have had the experience of being mentors in past editions of S.Pellegrino Young Chef, and each and every one of them play an integral part in the development of this exciting competition for the future of fine dining.

ONLINE VOTING STILL OPEN: FINE DINING LOVERS PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS 

Who would you choose to win? Make yourself heard with the Fine Dining Lovers People’s Choice Awards. Online voting will remain open until the very last moments of the competition, 3:00 pm (GMT+2), May 13. Get your vote in to show your support for your favorite young chef. The winner will be announced during the award ceremony of the Grand Finale.

ALL THE FINALISTS, MENTORS AND SEVEN SAGES 

Of course, S.Pellegrino has been following all the finalists in each and every step of the competition throughout their journey so far. Learn all about these top rising stars of gastronomy as well as the world renowned chefs who have accompanied them as mentors and Seven Sages at the dedicated S.Pellegrino Young Chef site.

Make sure you stay tuned here, on the dedicated S.Pellegrino Young Chef site and on S.Pellegrino’s social media channels on Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned for updates, in-depth and behind the scenes action of young chefs’ preparation and performance in the Grand Finale, with the hashtag #SPYoungChef.