The European Young Chef Award 2024 finalists have joined past honorees as IGCAT Regional Chef Ambassadors, committing to champion their regions’ local foods, celebrate culinary diversity, and promote sustainability.
As IGCAT Regional Chef Ambassadors, these young chefs pledge to be positive change-makers throughout their careers, proudly representing their regions’ heritage and food cultures in sustainable ways. This growing network of ambassadors, formed from European Young Chef Award finalists since 2016, is dedicated to making a meaningful impact.
This recognition underscores the vital role young chefs can play in preserving and enhancing local food diversity and quality through their creativity and innovation. Together, they aim to promote food production and consumption practices that are environmentally sound, ethically responsible, socially conscious, culturally rich, and economically sustainable.
President of IGCAT, Diane Dodd Phd noted that “The more future chefs we can inspire to champion sustainability and promote the unique culinary heritage of their regions, the stronger those traditions will become. This morning the young chefs all agreed to become IGCAT Regional Chef Ambassadors for the future and so we now have over 70 powerful leaders working to promote healthy, local food from the regions they represent.”
Following the signing (28 November), each young chef prepared a traditional dish from their region as part of the warm-up for the 2024 competition that will be held on 29 November 2024. During the event, they will present innovative interpretations of these recipes to an international panel of experts, led by Michelin-starred and Green -starred chef Martina Caruso.
About IGCAT’s European Young Chef Award
The European Young Chef Award is an annual competition organised by 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.
IGCAT counts on the continuous support of the official ambassador of the competition, world-renowned, Michelin-starred chef Joan Roca, who has endorsed its principles since the first edition in 2016. Nominated Best Chef in the World for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018), Joan Roca stated that “the European Young Chef Award is a learning process and a very valuable experience. Success is doing what you like doing. So, the finalists to the European Young Chef Award have already won!”
The 8th edition of the European Young Chef Award is organised and promoted by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) and hosted by Sicily, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2025. The competition is held at IPSSEOA “Giovanni Falcone” – Giarre hospitality school on 27-30 November 2024 and gathers finalists from 8 European Regions of Gastronomy: Catalonia awarded 2016 and 2025 (Spain); South Aegean awarded 2019 (Greece); Slovenia awarded 2021; Menorca awarded 2022 (Spain); Saimaa awarded 2024 (Finland); Sicily awarded 2025 (Italy); Gozo awarded 2026 (Malta); and Harghita candidate 2027 (Romania).
The European Young Chef Award 2024 is supported by Regione Siciliana; Consorzio DOS Sicilia (Consortium for the promotion and enhancement of Sicilian Designation of Origin products); Consorzio Tutela Vini DOC Sicilia (Consortium for the Protection of Sicilian DOC Wines); Modica Chocolate Museum; La Sicilia di Ulisse; IPSSEOA “Giovanni Falcone” – Giarre hospitality school; Principi de Grimaldi Vocational School of Modica; and the School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality I.P.S.S.E.O.A. “Pietro Piazza” of Palermo.
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.
28 November 2024
