Catalonia will host the ninth edition of the European Young Chef Award in November

Catalonia will be the setting for the ninth edition of the European Young Chef Award, which will take place between 24 and 28 November at various locations across the territory. Over four days, ten delegations of young chefs from various European regions will live together and compete for the title of best young European chef, in an event combining talent, creativity and gastronomic culture.

The Sant Pol de Mar University School of Hospitality and Tourism (EUHT) will host the culinary tests. On Tuesday 25 November, the candidates will prepare the traditional version of the dish with which they represent their region, in a non-competitive session highlighting the roots and gastronomic heritage of each territory. On Wednesday 26, the young chefs will face the qualifying test with their innovative proposal, before an international jury chaired by the Catalan chef Xavier Pellicer and made up of leading European gastronomy professionals.

On Thursday 27 November, Barcelona will host the award ceremony gala, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, at which the winner and the two finalists of the 2025 edition will be announced. During their stay, the participants and their mentors will enjoy a programme of gastronomic experiences touring towns such as Sant Pol and Arenys de Mar, Viladrau, Vilafranca del Penedès and Barcelona. The aim is for them to discover local products, traditional recipes, festivities and the distinctive features of Catalan cuisine, an internationally recognised heritage.

About the young chefs who have represented Catalonia at the EYCA

The participants in the European Young Chef Award are young chefs aged between 18 and 26 who have won the regional competition in their home region. All of them are linked to hospitality schools, restaurants or gastronomic projects and stand out for their technical mastery, sensitivity towards local produce and commitment to sustainability. Each candidate presents two preparations: a traditional version of an emblematic dish from their territory and an innovative reinterpretation that updates its essence.

This year, Catalonia's representative is Ànakin Rivera, a student at the Sant Pol de Mar University School of Hospitality and Tourism, who won the Overall Prize and the Catalan Food Prize at the 37th Young Cuisine Competition of Catalonia. The previous edition of the EYCA was won by the young Catalan chef Marta Minoves, a student at CETT-UB, thanks to her proposal "Fonda Tor", a modern reinterpretation of a traditional dish from El Berguedà.

Catalonia's representatives in recent editions have been:

• 2018 - Eric Díaz (Escola Joviat)
• 2019 - Mariona Rodà (Institut Bisbe Sivilla)
• 2021 - Eric Montes (Jesuïtes Sant Ignasi)
• 2022 - Raúl Gisbert (EUHT Sant Pol)
• 2023 - Osvaldo Sejas (ESH Vedruna de Gràcia)
• 2024 - Marta Minoves (CETT-UB)
• 2025 - Ànakin Rivera (EUHT Sant Pol)

About the European Young Chef Award

The European Young Chef Award is a competition promoted by IGCAT (Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism) which brings together the winners of regional competitions from all over Europe with the aim of promoting innovation based on traditional cuisine, highlighting sustainable food cultures and creating future ambassadors for local products and territories.

This year's edition forms part of the Catalonia World Region of Gastronomy 2025 initiatives. The event is organised by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, through Prodeca, and by the Department of Business and Labour, through the Catalan Tourist Board, with the collaboration of the Trade, Crafts and Fashion Consortium of the Government of Catalonia.