Chef of the Year Competition

Restaurama, the International Catering Show, will bring to the kitchens of Barcelona Vanguardia the second edition of the Cook of the Year Contest (CYC). An event which has become a leader in its category in Spain, chaired by Martín Berasategui, exclusive is for professionals only and which is backed by the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS).

Close to 1,000 promising young chefs are the contenders. In eight semifinals rounds held all over Spain, they have to show off their very best culinary creations. These creations must feature and combine qualities such as innovation, technique, taste and presentation. Just eight of these participants will get to the finals at Alimentaria 2008, where they will have to face the most highly selective and demanding palates of all – a jury made up of the crème de la crème of the world of haute cuisine.

The Cook of the Year Contest is biennial and geared towards professionals from the gastronomy sector throughout Spain. Its aim is to acknowledge the profession’s prestige and award the country’s best chef. The contest is organised by the Grupo Caterdata and its main sponsor is Alimentaria, which is committed to launching the careers of these young stars of contemporary cuisine. The contest also receives support from companies like Unilever, a multi-product company which is a special supplier of catering solutions, as well as the distributor Makro and Bodegas Aresán.

This second edition of the CYC has new areas to offer, such as the Best Appetizer section, which is also sponsored by Cruzcampo, the company which will hand out awards for the very best and most exquisite creations in tapas and canapés.