The world’s biggest Olympiad for culinary students – the International Young Chef Olympiad (YCO) – is back to celebrate the multicultural diversity of food from across the borders. The sixth edition of the event will be held across five cities of India – Delhi, Pune, Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata – from 28th January 2020 to 2nd February 2020. YCO 2020 will be inaugurated on 28th January with a grand opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
It will witness participation of student chefs from 60 countries, including Scotland, England, Singapore, USA, Spain, Portugal, Kenya, Iran, Cambodia and Germany, among others. Adopting the theme of ‘Sustainability’, this year the competition will be uniting the young talent of the culinary world to champion the sustainability revolution through positive action.
During a 5-day long intense competition, which is being organised by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) in partnership with the International Hospitality Council London, the contestants will undertake 3 rounds of culinary challenges in their quest to win the coveted YCO 2020 Champion Trophy, a cash prize of USD 10,000 and a validation of their skills by globally renowned experts from the food and hospitality industry.
Talking about YCO 2020, Dr Suborno Bose, the CEO of International Hospitality Council (IHC) and Founder YCO, said, “With 60 countries coming together under one roof to celebrate the diversity of food from across the borders, YCO 2020 is not just the biggest culinary competition in the world but also a global platform fostering the spirit of youth, friendship, inclusiveness and camaraderie. Moreover, by making sustainability as the theme for this year, we are championing the cause with the involvement of young people who will help determine and shape the future through a global impact.”
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Padma Shri Chef Sanjeev Kapoor will be the Principal Judge and Mentor for YCO 2020 while Prof David Foskett (MBE) will be the Chairman of the Jury. The panel of judges will include internationally acclaimed judges and celebrity chef judges including Chief Judge Chef Brian Turner, who is also the President of the Royal Academy of Culinary and Deputy Chief Judge Chef Andreas Muller from Hong Kong.
Talking about YCO, Prof. David Foskett (MBE), Chair of the International Hospitality Council and YCO 2020, said, “The sixth edition of the YCO is going to be yet another great competition. We must bear in mind that it is not just a competition but also a festival celebrating the young people studying culinary arts from across the world irrespective of race, colour, religion and culture. We are very much looking forward to seeing you all in this grand celebration of food.”
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Showcasing the multicultural culinary diversity of different countries, YCO 2020 will also bring together the student chefs and chef mentors for the “United World of Young Chefs”. This event will provide a great opportunity for the 60 participating countries to present their national cuisine to a global culinary audience at the Hyatt Regency in Kolkata on 31st January 2020.
