July 2, 2025 – We are saddened today to learn of the passing of an old friend of Worldchefs and the greater culinary community globally, Chef Norbert Girnth. Chef Norbert has been involved in Worldchefs and spent many years coming to the Emirates Salon Culinaire since the inception back in 1993 and was an icon judge for the competition over the past 28 editions. This endeared him to fellow judges and competitors alike. Chef Norbert had worked in some of the most iconic kitchens around the world.
Chef Norbert is a member of the Verband der Koche Deutschland. He served his apprenticeship in a Michelin-Star restaurant in Germany and worked in Switzerland, France, Jersey, Channel Islands, and Morocco. He spent two years on the flagship of the Holland- America line: S/S Rotterdam.
Chef Norbert won more than 30 gold culinary medals during a distinguished career before retiring from active competition to take up judging. After some seminars about judging, he was a member of judging teams in Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, Chicago, Iceland, Kuala Lumpur, Strasbourg, Basel, Gent, and Johannesburg. He was twice Host-chef for the national team of Australia during the cooking Olympics in Frankfurt and twice as a judge for the cooking Olympics in 1996 in Berlin and in 2000 in Erfurt.
Following two years studying at the Heidelberg Hotel – and Management school, he has, since 1970, been Chef-Patron at the restaurant that has been owned and operated by his family for the past two-hundred years.
Norbert’s smile and stories would captivate us all. To listen to the history of his culinary journey was inspirational.
To Norbert’s wife, Uschi, and his son – also a chef – Leif, we offer our sincerest condolences and thank them for sharing him with us over these many years. We are thankful to have met you both in friendship due to Norbert’s friendship to us all.
Rest in peace our friend.
Thoughts and prayers from from all chefs of the World Association of Chefs Societies.
