Why contests like the S Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition are important for young chefs today
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ood trends and social media popularity may fluctuate like the volatile stock market; but the fundamentals of being a good chef never change.
This was the unanimous advice shared by mentors and jurors in the S Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition (SPYCA) 2024/2025 as they gathered in Seoul last month (Mar 24) with the Asian regional finalists in a themed luncheon called Bring Your Future to the Table. Besides a multi-course lunch presented by chefs and finalists from Singapore, Seoul and Hong Kong, there were several panel discussions on the future of Asia’s culinary landscape.
Speaking to CNA Luxury on the sidelines, Kirk Westaway, chef-owner of two Michelin-starred Jaan by Kirk Westaway, said that the one thing he’d have told his younger self when he became the inaugural Southeast Asian winner in 2015, it would be this: Cook what you believe in.
