Grand Finale 2025 in Milan: As it happened

The first morning saw seven of the finalists each spend five hours preparing their signature dish, before presenting it to the Grand Jury with the support of their mentor. As a succession of elaborate and elegant dishes emerged from the kitchens, the judges repeatedly praised the extremely high quality of the creations presented.

First up was chef Theo Kopp (West Europe), accompanied by his mentor Cyril Molard. On tasting Kopp's signature dish, an interpretation of a traditional "potée Lorraine", jury member Royer declared that the competition was "starting on a very high note", with Klugmann adding that "the ingredients told the story of the dish before his words did".

Next came Ardy Ferguson (Asia) and mentor Vicky Lau, presenting his signature dish "Archipelago Celebration", which was praised for its punchy but harmonious combination of flavours, judge Chan revealing that "the aromas instantly took me back to my childhood in Hong Kong".

This was followed by a heartfelt presentation of "Ode to Sam Yee" by Ben Miller (UK) accompained by his mentor Santiago Lastra. Miller who explained that the dish was "the story of a relationship with a girl who really opened me up to food culture". Jury member Reygadas clearly appreciated the storytelling, thanking Miller for his honesty, and stating "You're really cooking with your feelings."

The fourth young chef to present was Ya Min Liu (Mainland China) with his mentor Jacqueline Qiu. After tasting his "Symphony of Layered Flavours", Klugmann and Royer both highlighted the young chef's courageous use of extremely spicy Sichuan pepper.

Edoardo Tazzanini (Italy), mentored by Giancarlo Perbellini, then made an assured and elegant presentation of "An artichoke heart". He was praised by several jurors for reversing the usual roles by putting a vegetable at the centre of his creation and giving meat only a secondary part, while an impressed Tsumara called the dish "simplicity taken to perfection".

Next, accompanied by his mentor Johannes Richter, came Luckson Mare (Africa, Middle East & South Asia), who presented his signature dish "duck with sweet potato and matungulu" (a local plum). Chan was impressed by what he described as "a combination of flavours I've never had before", while Nakayama described it as "fun to eat because each item produces a different feeling".

The first day's presentations concluded with Emilia Montz (Central Europe), accompanied by mentor Rosina Ostler. Montz explained how her elegant creation "Russian ballet", inspired by her roots and by Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, was a "dive into another world, a world I lived in for a long time." Nakayama told Montz she had done an "amazing job of telling the story visually", while Tsumara said the dish "looked very delicate but was actually an explosion of flavours".

In closing remarks, Klugmann expressed her appreciation of the theatricality of the presentations, saying"As chefs, our career is thousands of performances, and you have to enjoy them", while Royer confessed that the judges had been moved. "When food comes from the heart, it touches us," he noted, adding "it's clear that choosing a winner won't be an easy task... and it's still Day 1!"

In the afternoon, the seven members of the Grand Jury – as well as the winner of the 2022-2023 competition, chef Nelson Freitas – took part in a special new initiative that will be revealed in the coming months. Stay tuned to find out more!

Day 2 will see the eight remaining finalists present their signature dishes, before everyone reunites in the evening for the award ceremony and closing dinner. Watch this space for all the news including, of course, the announcement of the winner of the world's Best Young Chef 2025!

The morning of the second and final day of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25 Grand Finale saw the remaining eight finalists take to the kitchens.

The day's first dish to be presented was "La Malquerida, the Unloved" by young chef Gabriela Sarmiento (Latin America & Caribbean), accompanied by her mentor Mario Castrellón. For Grand Jury member Tsumura, "the dish represented what Latin America is: connection between countries and cultures", while chef Nakayama added "You did a great job of painting a picture of your childhood through this dish."

Next up, accompanied by mentor Yvonne Melee Simon, was Pablo Donadío Falcón (South-East Europe & Mediterranean), with his signature dish "Haiku to the Mountain", a culinary poem in three verses. The Grand Jury was impressed by the "stunning" plating of the dish, by the thought behind it, and by the balance of flavours. Bacquié commented: "I love sauces, and your sauce is perfect".

The day's third presentation came from Antonis Avouri (France). With mentor Alexandre Mazzia by his side, the young chef presented "The consequences of our actions", inspired by the way ingredients like blue crab and olives are being affected by climate change in the Mediterranean region. Chef Royer reflected a consensus in the Grand Jury with his remark "There is a hidden complexity behind this dish that’s really incredible."

The next dish to be tasted was "Bacon and cabbage or pork and kimchi", presented by KyongHo Choi (Pacific) under the supportive gaze of mentor Josh Niland. The dish reflects both the young chef's Korean heritage and the culture of the country were he grew up, Ireland. Grand Jury member Nakayama thanked him for sharing his story and complimented the way his dish successfully merged multiple cultural backgrounds.

The day's presentations continued with finalist Noah Wynants (North Europe), alongside mentor Nelson Tanate, with his Dutch 'Rendang', a vegan interpretation of a traditional Indonesian meat dish. Reactions from the Grand Jury included "stunning", "delicious" and "perfect". Chef Reygadas claimed she was delighted by the chef's decision to use vegetables, "not just for the environmental aspect, but above all for the flavour."

Next came a heartfelt presentation of "Langosta y cochinillo balear" (Balearic lobster and suckling pig) by José María Borrás Villarroel (Iberian Countries), who thanked his mentor and idol Andreu Genestra Garcia. The young chef, who declared "I never want to lose where I come from, but I want to cook the future", was praised for the novel combination of ingredients, with chef Nakayama adding "I felt your personality really come through in the dish".

The penultimate presentation was from Victoria Rinsma (Canada), with her signature dish "Across the sea and home again", which she described as "a tribute to the journeys we take to find our identity". The dish was developed with the support of former finalist Rafael Covarrubias, who said that being back in Milan as a mentor was "like coming full circle". The dish was appreciated for its sophisticated combination of diverse influences and flavours. Chef Tsumura commented: "You are showing us your memories, but also bringing together techniques from different cultures."

The final day's action concluded with "Quail stuffed with Chesapeake oysters", presented by Garrett Brower (USA), accompanied by his mentor Aisha Ibrahim. Brower declared "In this dish I see my home, I see my heritage, I see parts of my future too." Chef Klugmannn responded warmly, saying "Everything had a purpose here. I love the intensity that comes from something so simple", while co-juror Nakayama declared "American food is very hard to define. What is an American taste? I think I discovered that today." It felt like a fitting compliment on which to close two days of intense concentration, emotion, hard work and reflection on the future of gastronomy.