S.Pellegrino has announced the seven jurors who will be judging the grand finale of their Young Chef 2020 competition that will place in Milan on 7 to 9 May 2020, where chef Paul Thinus Prinsloo of The Restaurant at Waterkloof. will be competing for the title of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2020.

As constantly engaged talent platform that nurtures the future of gastronomy, S.Pellegrino Young Chef saw 134 young chefs all over the globe taking part in live cook-offs in front of international jury panels from the participating countries of twelve different regions. The 12 finalists will cook in front of the Seven Sages, an esteemed jury panel made up of seven giants of global gastronomy who, believing that the culture and ethics behind a plate will make the difference for a chef in the future, will judge their dishes to find the final winner.

The Seven Sages are:

1. Mauro Colagreco, the Italian-Argentine chef who has been declared No. 1 at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2019 with his three-Michelin-star restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France. He works to provide maximum quality through using local ingredients, stating; “As chefs, we are obliged to focalise on the sustainability and the future of our planet.”
2. Andreas Caminada, a Swiss chef and entrepreneur whose restaurant, Schloss Schauenstein, holds three Michelin stars. His philosophy is to stay true to his roots, only using seasonal ingredients from surrounding castle grounds or hand-picked local producers. He received the World’s 50 Best Sustainable Restaurant Award for his environmental and social approach at Schloss Schauenstein in 2019.
3. Clare Smyth was the first female British chef to hold and retain three Michelin stars and was named the World’s Best Female Chef 2018 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The ingredients she uses for her British cuisine are selected after a long research among local farmers and independent artisans and have a strong ethic and sustainable aspect.
4. Pim Techamuanvivit is the executive chef of Nahm in Bangkok (one Michelin star since 2017), the chef/owner of Kin Khao (one Michelin star since 2015) and the recently opened Nari in San Francisco. Committed to sustainability and food waste prevention, she supports the future of Thai food by working closely with local artisan producers, fishermen, and farmers to source impeccable ingredients for her kitchens.
5. Enrico Bartolini is the Italian chef whose restaurants have the most Michelin stars. In 2019, his restaurant, Enrico Bartolini – Mudec, received three Michelin stars, marking the return of a three-stars restaurant in Milan, after more than 25 years. His philosophy is to be contemporary classic, blending tradition with innovation and endless experimentation to create new flavours that are packed with memories.
6. Manoella Buffara is a Brazilian chef who studied in Italy. Her restaurant Manu was named ‘One to Watch’ by Latin America’s 50 Best in 2018, and to promote sustainability she created a model in which the protection of nature is the task of everyone, using urban gardens to bring communities together by sharing crops.
7. Gavin Kaysen, owner of the Spoon and Stable Restaurant in Minneapolis, is a gifted US chef and a visionary entrepreneur. With the belief that mentorship is still very relevant in the gastronomy profession, Kaysen is strongly committed to helping the next generation of young culinarians refine their skills in the kitchen. He’s one of the founding mentors of the non-profit Ment’or BKB Foundation (formerly Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation) and he took part in the Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 event, mentoring the winning candidate for USA team.

The jurors will be judging the finalists based on three key attributes – technical skills, creativity, and personal belief – as well as the candidates’ potential to create positive change in society through food. The chef who displays these attributes most successfully will be crowned S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2020.

This year’s culinary journey will also host a one-day forum curated by Fine Dining Lovers – the online leading voice in gastronomy by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna for worldwide food enthusiasts – that will be dedicated to human and food sustainability in Gastronomy. Young and top chefs will take turns on stage to share their views and experience about kitchen culture and sustainable practices. World-renowned chef Massimo Bottura will run a special lecture.

FineDiningLovers will share insights on S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2020. Follow the story on www.finedininglovers.com and @finedininglovers socials.

Click here to discover more about the exciting talent search.