16 October 2019

Paul Thinus Prinsloo announced as the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef regional semi-final

Submitted by: Megan Jonkers
Paul Thinus Prinsloo announced as the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef regional semi-final

PRINSLOO WILL BE REPRESENTING THE AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST REGION AT THE GRAND FINALE IN MILAN 2020

CAPE TOWN, OCTOBER 2019 – Following a day of outstanding displays of culinary prowess by some of the most talented young chefs in the Africa and Middle East region, Paul Thinus Prinsloo has been announced as the winner and will be participating in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Finale in 2020. The Grand Finale will take place in Milan on 8 - 9 May 2020.

Prinsloo is Chef de Partie at The Restaurant at Waterkloof in Cape Town. He won the judges over with his signature dish, Bouillabaisse 2.0, a contemporary interpretation of a classic based on the traditional Provençal fish stew originating from France.

Prinsloo says, “I’m really excited to be competiting in the Finale in Milan next year. There were a few mistakes on my part under the pressure today but I am always striving for perfection. I will be ready when I go up against the top Chefs in Milan”.

The win is even more impressive as this year’s competition saw over 2,400 applicants from all over the world. All wanting to take part in this globally renowned competition to find the world’s best young chef, with the level of talent as impressive as ever.

Paul Prinsloo has won the opportunity to compete for the overall title of S.Pellegrino Young Chef at the Finale, however a further three young chef’s were also recognised at the semi-final. To reflect S.Pellegrino’s belief in, and support of, the transformative power of gastronomy and it’s impact beyond the kitchen, the following three awards have been introduced to the competition to compliment the existing S.Pellegrino Young Chef award: 

Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy – voted for by the Regional Mentors, the winner of this award produced a dish that represents diversity and recognises the beauty of different cultures coming together to create something fresh and exciting. Elissa Abou Tasse who is Chef de Partie at Ritage by Maroun Chedid in Beirut took the award for her dish, Adam’s Garden.

Fine Dining Lovers Community Award – voted for by the online Fine Dining Lovers community, this award is for the young chef who best represents their personal belief through their dish. Marcus Gericke from Qunu Restaurant in Johannesburg took this award for his dish, Remembrance (Quail Consommé).

S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility – voted for by Food Made Good, the internationally recognized voice on sustainability in food, this dish represents the principle that food is best when it is the result of sustainable practices. Callan Austin from Le coin Français, Cape Town took this award for his dish, The Ghost Net.

The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Regional Award presented to Paul Thinus Prinsloo is voted for by the Regional Jury. The award is given to the chef who has unrivaled technical skills, genuine creativity and an exceptional, strong personal belief about gastronomy.

All of the winners of the additional three awards will also be invited to attend the Grand Finale, affording them another opportunity to network with some of the biggest names in gastronomy from around the globe.

S.Pellegrino Young Chef nurtures the future of gastronomy, by nesting, discovering and promoting the next generation of culinary talent. S.Pellegrino Young Chef facilitates young talent from around the globe to access to the gastronomic community, enabling and encouraging them to demonstrate their personal belief in the transformative power of gastronomy through their technical skills and creativity. The winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef will become a positive force for change.

To stay update with announcements and news ahead of the Grand Finale in May 2020, you can visit the websites https://www.sanpellegrino.com/intl/en and https://www.finedininglovers.com/. Connect on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SanPellegrino, https://www.facebook.com/FineDiningLovers, Twitter https://twitter.com/sanpellegrino, https://twitter.com/finedininglover and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sanpellegrino_official/, https://www.instagram.com/finedininglovers/.