Langdon Hall executive chef to jury international chef competition

Langdon Hall executive chef Jason Bangerter is one of three Canadian chefs selected to jury the sixth edition of the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition.

The global competition from the company behind San Pellegrino sparkling drinks aims to discover and mentor the most promising and talented young chefs aged 30 and under.

The last edition of the competition marked a record in participation with over 166 chefs passing the preliminary selections in 15 regions around the world. 

Also on the Canadian jury are Normand Laprise, from Montreal restaurant Toqué!, and Nuit Regular, of Toronto's PAI Northern Thai Kitchen.

The jury will judge live cooking competitions, where aspiring chefs will showcase their culinary prowess, innovation and creativity.

Following Canada's regional final, one of the chefs will act as a "mentor chef" to the regional winner, assisting them in refining their signature dish and offering guidance as they prepare for the grand finale in Milan, Italy.

"The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition provides a platform for emerging chefs to showcase their culinary prowess on a global stage. I am eager to see the innovative dishes and techniques that will be presented by this year's aspiring chefs," Bangerter said in a press release.

Chefs under 30 years of age can register for the competition until June 19, by submitting the recipe of a signature dish that communicates their personal vision, unique skills, and creativity.

The first selection phase will be evaluated by ALMA, the International School of Italian Culinary Arts.

The school will create a shortlist of young chefs who will participate in the regional finals taking place through the second half of the year.

Regional winners will then compete at the Grand Finale event to win the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award 2024-25.

To win the title, the chefs must impress an esteemed panel of internationally renowned chefs.

The last edition saw the global title won by young Portuguese chef Nelson Freitas, and Pierre-OIivier Pelletier from Quebec winning the 2022-2023 Canadian title.