The European Young Chef Award 2025 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: “The more future chefs we can inspire to champion sustainability and promote food producers in their regions, the more chance we will have of safeguarding culinary heritage and promoting food and cultural diversity. This morning, the 2025 finalists became IGCAT Regional Chef Ambassadors, joining a network of over 70 young chefs all committed to promoting healthy, local food from the regions they represent.”
Following the signing on 25 November 2025, each young chef prepared a traditional dish from their region as part of the warm-up for the competition. The dishes they served, were reminiscent of a dish their ancesters would prepare and use autoctonous plants and aniamls. The day after, they were invited back for the competition day and presented an innovative interpretation of the traditional recipe, using the same products. The competition is to enhance the flavours, textures as well as the plating and present this as a story from their region to an international jury chaired by Xavier Pellicer, a leading figure in plant-based fine dining from Catalonia, World Region of Gastronomy awarded 2025.
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. This year, the competition was financed by the Department of Agriculture of the Sicilian Region.
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 9th 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 Catalonia, World Region of Gastronomy awarded 2025 at Sant Pol School of Hospitality and Culinary Management.
The European Young Chef Award 2025 is hosted by the Government of Catalonia and supported by EUHT St Pol.
About the World/European Regions of Gastronomy
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 Foodie Websites and the international Food Film Menu.
25 November 2025
