May 20, 2026 – Nestlé Professional has awarded the 2nd annual Green Spatula Awards during the Global Chefs Challenge Finals at the Worldchefs Congress in Wales.
The Nestlé Professional Green Spatula Award is the first dedicated sustainability award created by a major foodservice company in partnership with World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs). It uniquely recognizes chefs who combine exceptional culinary talent with measurable, everyday sustainable practices in their kitchens.
“Sustainability is core to our purpose at Nestlé Professional. This award uniquely bridges culinary excellence with responsible kitchen leadership, inspiring the entire industry to make more sustainable choices” explains Reinhold Jakobi, SVP and Head of Nestlé Professional’s Strategic Business Unit.
The Global Chefs Challenge is where the world’s top chefs meet to compete in four competition categories. Selected through top performance at the Worldchefs Regional Semi-Finals in 2025, qualifying teams go head-to-head at the Global Chef Challenge Finals.
Andy Cuthbert, President, Worldchefs explains, “We’re proud to encourage the top chefs from around the world to be true agents of change. The Nestlé Professional Green Spatula Award represents creativity, leadership, and respect for our planet.”
The 2026 Green Spatula Award Winners:
Tommy Jespersen, Denmark (Global Chefs Challenge) – Tommy brings extensive experience from the country’s fine-dining scene, alongside an impressive international competition background with the National Culinary Team of Denmark.
Bjarke Jeppesen, Denmark (Global Vegan Chefs Challenge) – Bjarke has built a strong career within Nordic cuisine. For the past three years he has been a head chef at the Treetop restaurant situated in Vejle. With his focus on sustainable local produced foods, the restaurant received the green star from the Michelin Guide.
Trym Karlsen, Norway (Global Young Chefs Challenge) – Trym has developed an impressive culinary career at a young age. Growing up with a chef father, he quickly developed a strong passion for food, focusing on pure ingredients, sustainability, and flavor balance. He has experience in top-level competitions and as part of the Norwegian National Culinary Team.
Professional Kitchen Sustainable Practices
“It is an honor to recognize the global top chefs who go beyond delivering exceptional culinary experiences and embed meaningful sustainable practices into their kitchen” states Ana Aragón, Head of Sustainability & Nutrition, Nestlé Professional.
The recognized chefs demonstrated leadership across key sustainable practices for the professional kitchens, including:
- Energy Use & Cooking Methods: Optimizing energy-efficient equipment, meal planning, favoring cold and fermented dishes, keeping lids on pots, and shifting to electric power where possible.
- Responsible Sourcing: Increasing plant-based options, and using fresh, local, seasonal, and ingredients from farms applying regenerative agriculture practices.
- Water Conservation: Using right-sized pans, steaming and pressure-cooking, and minimizing running water.
- Food Waste Reduction: Measuring waste, creative repurposing of scraps, accurate portioning, and menu design focused on whole-ingredient use.
- Balanced Plate: Designing proportions that follow nutritional guidelines and give vegetables more room on the plate.
Background of the Award
Launched in 2024 at the Worldchefs Congress in Singapore, the award has grown rapidly. This year it was integrated into the Regional Semi-Finals across Asia, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. Competitors in the Global Chefs Challenge, Global Young Chefs Challenge, and Global Vegan Chefs Challenge were automatically considered, with winners selected by a jury based on waste management, energy & water optimization, and overall sustainable approach.
For more information on the Nestlé Professional Green Spatula Award and the Global Chefs Challenge Finals, visit www.nestleprofessional.com and www.worldchefs.org.
