Canada's West coast dominates as S.Pellegrino announces Young Chef semi-finalists

Canada's west coast dominates as S.Pellegrino announces Young Chef semi-finalists. Image: CNW Group/S. Pellegrino.

Western Canada leads the pack with eight of ten semi-finalists in the S. Pellegrino Young Chef competition hailing from across British Columbia, Saskatoon and Alberta. These distinguished young chefs have been selected to compete at Canada's regional finals on June 6, 2016 in Toronto.

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Ones-to-watch representing the West include Jorge Muñoz Santos (Bar Oso, Whistler, BC), Yoann Therer (Araxi, Whistler, BC), Alison Ramage (Design to Dine, Vancouver, BC), Carmen Ingham (Meat and Bread, Vancouver, BC), Bobby Milheron (Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, Vancouver, BC), Steven Squier (Delta Bessborough, Saskatoon, SK), Jordan Carlson (Deseo Bistro, Winnipeg, AB) and Sean MacDonald (Market Restaurant, Calgary, AB). Hayden Johnston (Richmond Station, Toronto, ON), also a former winner of Food Network's Chopped Canada, earns his spot in the competition for a second year, while Michael Loyer (Chez Victoire, Montreal, QC) represents French Canada.

Semi-finalists will prepare their signature dishes for notable chefs and jurors Normand Laprise (Toqué! and Brasserie T!, Montreal, QC), Connie DeSousa (Charcut, Calgary, AB) and Rob Gentile (Buca, Bar Buca and Buca Yorkville, Toronto, ON) at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

"It's exciting to see so many talented chefs emerging from Western Canada, representing the Prairies and West coast regions of this diverse country," says Connie DeSousa - co-owner / co-chef of CHARCUT Roast House & charbar restaurant. "It's also incredibly important to me to work side-by-side mentoring young chefs, passing along the culinary guidance and kitchen culture I have been so fortunate to have experienced."

One individual will emerge victorious following the June 6th competition, winning the chance to compete for the 2016 S.Pellegrino Young Chef title at The Grande Finale in Milan. Canada's winner will work with Normand Laprise, chosen to act as Canada's mentor chef, to shape their signature dish before traveling to Milan. Laprise will help to refine the dish of our country's brightest up-and-coming culinary talent as they cultivate the skills to compete on the world stage.

S.Pellegrino's global scouting project, divides the world into 20 regions and involves approximately 100 top chefs as jurors across the globe, 20 young chef finalists, 20 chef mentors and a stellar chef jury. The event is an extraordinary opportunity for competitors to work side by side with their culinary peers, gain global visibility and meet with some of the world's most outstanding chefs.

The Seven Sages including David Higgs (Saxon Hotel and Spa, Johannesburg, ZA), Carlo Cracco (Cracco Ristorante, Milano, IT), Gaggan Anand (Gaggan, Bangkok, TH), Elena Arzak (Arzak, Gipuzkoa, ES), Mauro Colagreco (Colagreco and Mirazur Restaurants, Menton, FR), Wylie Dufresne (WD~50, New York, US) and Roberta Sudbrack (Restaurante Roberta Sudbrack, Rio de Janeiro, BR) will award one Young Chef the next S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 at The Grande Finale in Milan.

ALMA – the world's leading international education and training centre for Italian Cuisine (Alma.scuolacucina.it) – was enlisted to select the competition's regional semi-finalists. The acclaimed cooking school reviewed thousands of applications, with semi-finalists chosen according to five Golden Rules: ingredients, skills, genius, beauty, and message.

S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 presents young, budding chefs with the perfect opportunity to develop their skills and gain notoriety. The annual event brings together the future generation of tastesmakers that will define the trajectory of global dining trends. The program was created by the world-famous sparkling water, S.Pellegrino to reaffirm its commitment to promoting emerging talents and enhancing and diffusing fine dining culture throughout the world.

Exclusive content related to each local and international phase of the project and to the young chefs and their signature dishes will be published regularly on Finedininglovers.com, the online magazine for food enthusiasts, proudly endorsed by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.

Follow the hashtag #SPYoungChef to never miss an update on the event.

SOURCE S. Pellegrino