[Hong Kong, 29 October 2024] Hong Kong’s Chef Ardy Ferguson is the regional winner of the sixth edition of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25. Ferguson attained the highest score to win S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award (Asia) and will represent the region to compete with winners from 14 other regions at the global Grand Finale taking place in Milan next October for the coveted title of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award 2024-25. In preparation of the Grand Finale, he will be mentored by former global juror Hong Kong chef Vicky Lau.
[Hong Kong, 29 October 2024] Hong Kong’s Chef Ardy Ferguson is the regional winner of the sixth edition of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25. Ferguson attained the highest score to win S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award (Asia) and will represent the region to compete with winners from 14 other regions at the global Grand Finale taking place in Milan next October for the coveted title of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award 2024-25. In preparation of the Grand Finale, he will be mentored by former global juror Hong Kong chef Vicky Lau.
“We are very impressed by the calibre and creativity of the new generation of young chefs and amazed with the new ideas they bring to the table as well as the refined skills in execution. Every competition has showcased diverse and interesting flavours as well as personal narratives and provenance of ingredients. We are thrilled to continue this sixth edition of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition as we continue to nurture and discover the rising culinary stars of tomorrow, giving them a platform to grow, experience new opportunities and to tell their stories through food.” – Roberto Caroni, Sanpellegrino APAC Zone Director
This global initiative aims to discover and mentor the most talented young chefs under 30 worldwide, and Ferguson has beat nine other young talented chefs from Maldives, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan. Under the guidance of his chef mentor Mathew Kirkley of Belon, Chef Ardy Ferguson of Hong Kong’s Belon restaurant impressed the judges with his dish “Archipelago Celebration” - Nasi Tempung, a celebratory rice dish typically served with meat and vegetables at large gatherings.
Thrilled and exhausted after a gruelling day in the kitchen and anticipating the results, Ferguson shares, “I am so appreciative of the people around me. They put in so much effort to allow me to succeed. My parents flew in from Canada, my friends and co-workers at Belon gave me all their support and love, it’s hard to fail when you have so much support. While I pay homage to my Indonesian roots with this dish, my main Hong Kong element is the duck; the technique I use is very reminiscent of Hong Kong, I scalded the duck, lacquered them in red wine vinegar to give it a nice colour and smoked our duck with sugar cane found down the road to get this sweet smoky refreshing flavour. That’s my take on Hong Kong roast.”
Chef mentor Mathew Kirkley gives full credit to Ferguson on his winning creative dish, “He put a couple of hundred hours into practice and competitions like these give the next generation of chefs the opportunities to connect, exchange and grow.”
The jury is guided by three Golden Rules: strong technical skills, genuine creativity and a personal vision of the world of gastronomy and how it has shaped his/her identity and values in relation to the respective dishes that are presented to the jury, who then awards the highest scores to the winner.
The local jury has diverse representation, made up of award-winning chefs Vicky Cheng of Wing in Hong Kong, Chudaree ‘Tam’ Debhakam of Baan Tepa Culinary Space in Bangkok, Thailand, Alessandro Guardiani of MUNI Alain Ducasse in Kyoto, Japan, David Lai of Neighborhood in Hong Kong, Richie Lin of Mume in Taipei, Taiwan, Vicky Lau of Tate Dining Room in Hong Kong and Johanne Siy of Lolla in Singapore.
In addition to the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award, there are three collateral prizes that reflect S.Pellegrino’s belief in the transformative power of gastronomy and its positive impact on society through food. The winners are:
The S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award: Young Chef Simone Scarparo, from Luna By Clara in Bangkok, Thailand, whose dish ‘Hidden in the Beeswax’, was inspired by a bee from in Koh Samui and utilises discarded beeswax as a cooking method for locally sourced fish states: “My restaurant is really focused on sustainability and zero waste, and this dish has been on the menu since we opened. What makes it special is that in Asia, every ingredient of the dish is easy to find. I also used every part of the fish from the bone to the head and nothing goes to waste.”
Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award: Young Chef Aswin Kumar Karanat Subramanian from Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru in the Maldives, whose dish ‘Shells Break the Shells’ was inspired by a village in Kerala’s backwaters where the historic spice route shaped their rich cultural heritage, states: “It is such an honour to win this here in Hong Kong. I am from Kerala where it’s not culturally supported to become a chef - your parents push you to become a teacher or an engineer instead. So with my dish, I wanted to celebrate Keralan culture, our food, our ingredients and show how beautiful our cooking can be, and how exciting our dishes are. With this win, I hope to become a voice for my community, and to give young chefs from Kerala an example of success as a chef.”
Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award: Young Chef William Yee, from Labyrinth in Singapore, whose dish ‘Dai Pai Dong’ (Malaysian food street), was inspired by his family trips to his local Dai Pai Dong in Kuala Lumpur states: “I grew up in Malaysia, where food and food education is part of our culture. My cooking today aimed to capture the authentic flavours of a Malay street stall but to reinterpret it with Pigeon, my favourite ingredient, alongside local ingredients and flavours. I am delighted to have won this award, following in the footsteps of so many Singapore chefs before me. Thank you to Sanpellegrino for creating such an amazon platform for Young Chefs to be seen and heard.”
Former top 3 global finalist of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award 2019-2021, Kevin Wong of Seroja, sheds light on the dynamic and ever-evolving culinary scene, “With the growing importance of sustainability and personal identity on a plate, young chefs now not only have to demonstrate an array of precise technical execution and respect of produce, but also have to infuse creativity into the dish in the form of their own personal touch whilst showing restraint towards a ‘less is more’ approach. The next generation of chefs are truly impressive in how they demonstrate maturity beyond their years and it is heartwarming to see the global chef community grow closer as we collectively mentor young talents.”
- ENDS -
For high res imagery please click HERE
For more information please contact COMPANION
Alex@companioncommunications.com
Jacqueline@companioncommunications.com
June@companioncommunications.com
Sneha@companioncommunications.com
About S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy
Gastronomy has the potential to transform society, shaping a more inclusive, more sustainable future. But doing so requires talent. That's why S.Pellegrino has created S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy, a platform to attract, connect and nurture the next generation of culinary talents. An environment that will empower them through education, mentoring and experience opportunities, as well as through the renowned global competition.
The Academy opens its doors to members from over 70 different countries, ensuring that talent is not constrained by geography, ethnicity or gender. This is a place where passionate young chefs interact with the most influential players in global gastronomy, and where together they cultivate an inspiring culinary community.
To discover more please visit: https://www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com/
About S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna
S.Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks are international trademarks of Sanpellegrino S.p.A., which is based in Milan, Italy. Distributed in over 150 countries through branches and distributors on all five continents, these products represent quality, excellence by virtue of their origins and perfectly interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of pleasure, health and well-being. Founded in 1899, Sanpellegrino S.p.A. is the leading company in the beverage sector in Italy with its range of mineral waters, non-alcoholic aperitifs and drinks.
Sanpellegrino has always been committed to enhancing this primary good for the planet and works responsibly and passionately to ensure that this resource has a secure future.
Appendix
Chef contestants and their dishes in the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition Asia Regional Final and the inspiration behind their entry
In its sixth year, the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy continues to help discover the great chefs of tomorrow, giving them an opportunity to express their full potential through education, mentoring and opportunities for different experiences. S.Pellegrino believes that gastronomy goes well beyond the table and that young chefs are those who will drive the evolution of the dining sector. The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition attracts hundreds of talented young chefs all over the world wanting to make a difference. This year, 155 chefs passed the preliminary selections amongst the 15 regions involved and had the opportunity to engage with top chefs and showcase their potential in a regional context.
To discover more about the exciting talent search please visit: sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com and check out S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25 to learn more about the contestants and their creations.
List of Contestants and Mentors:
● Aswin Kumar Karanat Subramanian of the Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru in the Maldives
○ Mentor: Manuel Angelucci of Four Seasons Maldives
● Simone Scarparo of Luna By Clara in Bangkok, Thailand
○ Mentor: Christian Martena of Luna By Clara in Bangkok
● Stefan de Graaf of SyrcoBASÈ in Bali, Indonesia
○ Mentor: Blake Thornley of Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomic in Bali
● Ardy Ferguson of Belon in Hong Kong
○ Mentor: Matthew Kirkley of Belon in Hong Kong
● Nusita Woottidetch of Elements Inspired by Ciel Bleu in Bangkok, Thailand
○ Mentor: Gerard Villaret of Elements Inspired by Ciel Bleu in Bangkok
● Variando Wahyu of Maya Sanur Resort in Bali, Indonesia
○ Mentor: Justin Maute of Maya Resorts in Bali, Indonesia
● Jiajun Law of Province in Singapore
○ Mentor: Kirk Westaway of Province in Singapore
● William Yee of Labyrinth in Singapore
○ Mentor: LG (Liguang) Han of Labyrinth in Singapore
● Jae Ho Kim of Meat & Co. Steakhouse at Andaz Seoul Gangnam in South Korea
○ Mentor: Hyo Je of Andaz Seoul Gangnam
● Ai Ichinose, currently self-employed but most recently working at LURRA˚ in Kyoto, Japan
○ Mentor: Stefano Dal Moro