UAE Chef Grégoire Berger wins the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 regional challenge for the Africa and Middle East region

Following remarkable performances by ten of the most talented young chefs of the Africa and Middle East region, Chef Grégoire Berger  has been announced as the winner of the nation’s S.Pellegrino Young Chef MEA region challenge.

Grégoire, a French-trained chef who currently works as a head chef Restaurant Ossiano Fine Dining - Atlantis The Palm, will advance to the world Grande Finalecompetition to take place on October 13, 2016 in Milan, Italy. 

The regional challenge took place this week at the South African Chef’s Academy where 10 chefs from around Africa and the Middle East prepared a single dish for judges Chantel Dartnall of Restaurant Mosaic in Pretoria, Christopher Lester of the prestigious OIM Restaurant Group, and Moroccan chef Meryem Cherkaoui. 

With his “Kerguelen island legine & Cured Goose, Ponzu Insert, Potato Shell Stuffed With Agria Espuma, Roasted & Sour Jus, Artichoke & Black truffle , Shimeji , Tarragon Powder” dish, Grégoire Berger won among nine other contenders, based on the criteria of five “Golden Rules”: ingredients, skills, genius, beauty and message. 

Chef Michael O’Shea from The Ivy in Dubai was awarded second place, and Chef Eka Mochamad of Bateaux in Dubai was placed third.

 “This dish is a token of gratitude to thank all the chefs with whom I used to work.  They taught me everything; from different signature products to techniques.  The design is a walk in the woods in autumn, during a rainy day, my favourite atmosphere…” says Grégoire about his winning dish. 

“I’m thrilled to represent the Africa and Middle East region in Milan,” adds chef Grégoire. “The Grand Finale in October will be a great opportunity to meet and compete against other young chefs from all over the world.

One of the jury members, Christopher Lester, Culinary Director, OIM Resaurant Group commented: “We had 10 very competitive contestants and they all competed fiercely for the end goal with exceptional attributes. We had very different variance of ingredients used for the dishes. It took quite a lot of deliberation to chose the best execution. Chef Gregoire did a great job and would be an ideal candidate to represent the region at the final event.”

On October 13, 2016 in Milan, a jury of seven celebrated international chefs known as the Seven Sages—composed by David Higgs, Carlo Cracco, Gaggan Anand, Elena Arzak, Mauro Colagreco, Wylie Dufresne and Roberta Sudbrack— will determine the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016, following the five Golden Rules.

During this final round, each of the 20 finalists from each region of the world will be assigned a “Mentor Chef”, or globally-renowned culinary master, who will advise them on how to improve their signature dishes and help them prepare for the final competition.  For the Africa & Middle East region the mentor is Chantel Dartnall, award-winning Head Chef at Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient. 

 When asked what experience and advice she can offer to a young chef, Chantel says “our industry is growing ever more demanding and chefs are continually striving towards creating the next unforgettable dish, in doing this chefs needs to be confident, creative and develop their own unique style. As a young chef you have to invest in your own future, it is important to gain as much practical experience in a variety of kitchen environments where you can develop your skills and palate. It takes years of experience before you will become confident enough to start developing a unique personal style that will represent your personality on the plate.”

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 www.finedininglovers.com, the online magazine for food enthusiasts proudly endorsed by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.