Worldchefs is pleased to announce the recruitment of two new administrative staff:
Diogo Cardoso, our new Education Program Coordinator and Admin, and France van Maanen, our new Web & Digital Content Coordinator.
With two additional full-time employees, Worldchefs’ office team now reaches nine members.
Meet Diogo Cardoso – Education Program Coordinator and Admin:
Diogo is a skilled coordinator with a background in HR and education, and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management. He began his career in the education system before moving into HR, talent acquisition, and supporting educational initiatives for a major UN partner in the non-profit sector. Most recently, he coordinated a hospitality Airbnb business in the heart of Paris.
With a global background, Diogo has lived and worked in Portugal, Brazil, Ecuador, and France and speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. At Worldchefs, Diogo will support our education programs, including Application & Certification Management, the RQCE Schools, Certification Center mapping, and Judge Applications.
Meet France van Maanen – Web & Digital Content Coordinator:
France is a digital communicator with a passion for sustainability and storytelling. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Communication, France brings experience in content creation, website management, and digital strategy to the team. She has worked with organizations like UNICEF Student and managed social media for racing teams, combining creativity with a strong sense of community.
Originally from the Netherlands, France speaksEnglish, Dutch and Filipino. At Worldchefs, she will supports all things related to IT, web, and digital content and products.
Together, let’s give a warm welcome to Diogo and France!
An Overview of the Emirates Culinary Guild The Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG) is the association of professional chefs of the UAE. It is a non-profit-making organisation, organised by volunteers dedicated solely to the advancement of culinary art in the UAE.
The World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs) (www.worldchefs.org) is the 105-nation fellowship of the world’s various professional chefs’ organisations.
The ECG received its charter into Worldchefs at a ceremony in Stavanger, Norway on June 28, 1994, during the Worldchefs 26th World Congress. Worldchefs endorses the ECG as the authorized professional culinary association for the UAE. The ECG, thereby, has an international culinary focus and multi-national support for the staging of its various competitions, seminars and events.
The aims of the ECG, broadly, are:
To encourage and inspire young chefs through training and competition.
To enhance internationally the culinary prestige of the UAE.
To encourage UAE nationals to consider a career within the hospitality industry.
Article written by Milagros Montenegro, originally available at https://www.ellas.pa/
The Gastronomic Club of Panama (CGP) has selected its representatives for the semi-finals of the Americas Global Chef Challenge 2025, a competition held in Las Vegas, Nevada, that seeks to pit the best culinary talents against each other in an international event. The seven best teams will compete for the title and take center stage on the world stage alongside the pre-qualified teams from the IKA/Culinary Olympics 2024.
Panama will participate in the Global Vegan Chefs Challenge and Global Young Chefs Challenge categories (Vegan Chef and Young Chef).
The first Gastronomic Club Cup of Panama was held on February 17. Eighteen contestants from the Instituto Técnico Superior Especializado (ITSE), Universidad del Arte Ganexa, The Panama International Hotel School, and the Interamerican University of Panama (UIP), the host institution, participated.
The participating students were preselected by the Gastronomic Club of Panama after a registration process. The competition’s main judging panel consisted of chefs José Flores, club president; Lorenzo Di Gravio, Jennyfer Vernice, Greta Mayorga, Luis Moreno, Juan Neblett, and Kevin Fernández, who were tasked with evaluating the dishes and supervising the kitchen. Fanny Romero was the referee chef, in charge of controlling the timing; Kevin Alvarado was the consulting chef for the innovation table; and Luis Forero was the logistics support chef.
Final evaluation panel. From left to right: Chef José Flores (president of the Gastronomic Club of Panama), Chef Jennyfer Vernice, and Chef Lorenzo Di Gravio.
The competition format was “surprise basket.” Participants had to work with the ingredients at their disposal and manage a 90-minute timeframe to present a starter, main course, and dessert, which only had to include chocolate. The cooking theme was open. Chefs based their scoring on a scale of 1 to 100, considering texture, presentation, and flavor as the main criteria.
Kitchen of the Interamerican University of Panama (UIP).
After a fierce competition—where some dishes didn’t make it to the judging table in the required time—chef Sarah Mouallen, a member of the executive team of the Gastronomic Club of Panama, announced the winners:
Vegan Chef
– First place: Leidys González (UIP)
– Second place (assistant to the main winner): Omar Delgado (ITSE)
– Third place (alternate for second place): Eliza Calvo (ITSE)
Young Chef
– First place: Enrique Fajardo (UIP)
– Second place (assistant to the main winner): Celine Mugraby (UIP)
– Third place (alternate for second place): Aichell Vergara (Ganexa)
From left to right: Omar Delgado (ITSE), Executive Chef (UIP), Celine Mugraby (UIP), holding the cup: Enrique Fajardo (UIP), Chef Jennifer Vernice (Jury), Chef José Flores (president of the Gastronomic Club of Panama), Leydis González (UIP), Lorenzo Di Gravio (Jury), Eliza Calvo (ITSE) and Aichell Vergara (GANEXA).
Leydis González (UIP) took first place in the Vegan Chef class . For the appetizer, she prepared a fish fumet with lemongrass aromas; for the main course, she dazzled with a bed of French-style mashed potatoes garnished with glazed vegetables and medallions of seared beef with fine herbs and a three-peppercorn white sauce. To top it all off, she presented a tartlet with a mango and lime curd, accompanied by an Italian meringue and chocolate.
Leydis González is a senior at the UIP. She won first place in the Vegan Chef Challenge category.
Enrique Fajardo (UIP) took first place in the Young Chef section . His starter was a cucumber, pineapple, lemon, and salt sorbet, roasted tomato, and egg foam, with cheeses and truffle added. In the second challenge, he presented a brothy carrot couscous made with charred chilies and lemongrass broth, zucchini roasted in rosemary and hazelnut butter, alongside fresh cucumbers.
For dessert, she made a truffled hot chocolate mousse with coarse salt and a rosemary and thyme citrus sorbet, using the ice cream maker that was part of the innovation challenge table, a competition category she also won.
Enrique Fajardo is a third-year UIP student. He won the Young Chef Challenge category.
The event was attended by clinical psychologist Camila Martínez, wife of the president of the Gastronomic Club of Panama, who also participated in the evaluation process. The initiative to include a mental health professional specializing in psychological first aid was born from the desire to create a competitive environment, prepared to combat stress and mental breakdowns.
The top two finishers in each category will represent Panama in the prestigious Americas Global Chef Challenge Semi-Finals 2025 competition in Las Vegas, United States. They will undergo a five-month training period, where the young chefs will be mentored by a panel of judges to hone their skills and be one step closer to victory.
The America Global Chef Challenge Semi-Finals 2025 will take place from July 27 to 31, 2025. Learn more here.
Singapore April 22, 2025 – LPU Laguna, a Worldchefs Education Partner, continues to carve its name in the international culinary scene after a stellar performance at the FHA Singapore Culinary Challenge 2025, one of the oldest and most prestigious continental competitions endorsed by Worldchefs.
This year, LPU Laguna achieved a resounding victory by garnering the highest medal in the Themed Cake category, earning an exceptional 98 points — a score that highlights both creativity and technical mastery. This remarkable win further cements LPU Laguna’s consistent legacy in themed cake competitions, having previously earned Gold with Distinction and Best in Themed Cake in past editions of the competition.
In the Pralines and Petit Fours category, the team continued its winning streak by securing the highest gold medal with 92 points, showcasing not just flavor precision but also elevated craftsmanship in confectionery artistry.
Adding to the school’s medal tally, LPU Laguna also took home a silver medal in another category, scoring 82 points — an affirmation of their broad skillset and competitive edge across disciplines.
With this year’s accolades, LPU Laguna reaffirms its status as a powerhouse in culinary excellence, standing out in a field of elite chefs and institutions from across the globe. Their consistent wins in Singapore demonstrate not only technical prowess but also the dedication, innovation, and world-class training that defines LPU Laguna’s culinary program.
FHA Singapore, backed by Worldchefs, is recognized as a premier platform where the best in the culinary world compete and collaborate. For LPU Laguna to dominate on such a stage is a testament to the institution’s unwavering pursuit of excellence and its growing influence in the global culinary community.
See some of the results:
Themed Cake Photos: Highest Gold
Competitor: Chef Hannah Francheska Onrubia
Coach: Chef Abram Emmanuel Peralta
Pralines and Petit Fours: Highest Gold
Competitor: Chef Aljay Alvarez
Coach: Chef John Carlo Palacol
Pralines and Petit Fours: Silver
Competitor: Chef Tricia Lei Maligalig
Coach: Chef Nelson Gamurot
Congratulations to LPU Laguna and its students on their success at FHA Singapore Culinary Challenge 2025!
To learn more about becoming a Worldchefs Education Partner, click the button below.
On 30 March to 2 April 2025, the 2025 Hotelex Rising Star China International Young Chefs Competition took place in Shanghai. Read on to hear about the event from Jasper Jek, Chairperson of Worldchefs’ Global Development of Young Chefs Committee:
“Rising Star… The Future is Mine!” That was the slogan in mandarin during the Awards Ceremony of the 2025 Hotelex Rising Star China International Young Chefs Competition. A slogan I found well apt for the competition which took place at the NECC Shanghai.
The Worldchefs endorsed competition, organised by Hotelex Shanghai and Meat & Livestock Australia, brought together 168 Young Chefs from across China and 5 international teams over 4 exciting days of competition. I was privileged to be part of the Judging Panel made up of both local and international Worldchefs certified judges. Jake Kim from South Korea was Chief Judge for the competition and Andreas Muller (Chairman of the Worldchefs Education Committee) was the Worldchefs Observer for the competition.
I learnt from Clinton Zhu, Chairman of the competition, that the individual Young Chefs competitors came from all over China. From as far west – Kunming city, to Zhejiang province, East of the Country. These young chefs would first have to compete in their local district/school competitions before being able to enrol for the competition. He shared that it is our generation’s duty to provide opportunities for the young chefs, and in doing so he hopes to elevate Chinese culinary education to world-class standards, by emphasizing on foundational skills, technical mastery and creativity. Indeed, I witnessed the sharing of knowledge by the judges to the competitors on their dishes, with some great ones and others requiring improvement. The judges were encouraging in their critic and often explained the areas which could be done better and how to do so. I could see most of the young chef competitors listening diligently and having that enthusiasm to do better for their next competition.
The competition welcomed international teams from 5 countries – South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, with flights and accommodation arranged for. I would say the Organisers did a great job in supporting Young Chefs by providing an opportunity for young chefs to travel, learn about another culture and network with new friends; something extremely important in a young chef’s career development. Over the days, the young chefs of the various countries would mingle and learn from one another.
The competition concluded with the Penang team from Malaysia taking home the Winner’s trophy, with Zhejiang West Lake Vocation School from China and Zhejiang Tourism College from China winning Second and Second Runner-up, respectively.
If there’s something I could hope more of, it would be for more organisations and companies to step forward in supporting Young Chefs and have interest in their development. After all, the future of our industry relies on them. The future is theirs indeed!
To support your national association’s young chefs community, establish a Young Chefs Club today. Learn more about Worldchefs’ Young Chefs Clubs and how to create your own at https://worldchefs.org/youngchefs/.
In this issue of Gulf Gourmet’s magazine, discover how Chef Ruwan Kumara won the Arla Pro Pastry Mastery Competition 2024. Also, take a look into how Plantible Foods is keeping the future of food afloat with duckweed, and more.
An Overview of the Emirates Culinary Guild The Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG) (www.emiratesculinaryguild.net) is the association of professional chefs of the UAE. It is a non-profit-making organisation, organised by volunteers dedicated solely to the advancement of culinary art in the UAE.
The World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs) (www.worldchefs.org) is the 105-nation fellowship of the world’s various professional chefs’ organisations.
The ECG received its charter into Worldchefs at a ceremony in Stavanger, Norway on June 28, 1994, during the Worldchefs 26th World Congress. Worldchefs endorses the ECG as the authorized professional culinary association for the UAE. The ECG, thereby, has an international culinary focus and multi-national support for the staging of its various competitions, seminars and events.
The aims of the ECG, broadly, are:
To encourage and inspire young chefs through training and competition.
To enhance internationally the culinary prestige of the UAE.
To encourage UAE nationals to consider a career within the hospitality industry.
On March 20, 2025, College of Tourism & Hotel Management (COTHM) and Chefs Association of Pakistan (CAP) – the only national association of chefs in Pakistan affiliated with Worldchefs – marked the occasion of the International Day of Happiness with a heartwarming and impactful celebration. The event featured a gift distribution ceremony, where COTHM’s team and CAP’s student members took the opportunity to spread joy and positivity among the needy and the children at two orphanages: SOS Children’s Village and Eat Sleep Repeat Against Hunger (ESRAH).
The event was a memorable occasion that not only spread happiness but also showcased the spirit of community and giving. COTHM’s team and CAP’s student members personally distributed gifts to the needy people and the beautiful children, leaving them with a sense of joy and encouragement.
In addition to the gift distribution, two exciting competitions were held at COTHM to encourage creativity and talent among participants:
Painting Competition:
The painting competition provided a platform for young artists to showcase their skills, with vibrant and meaningful artwork reflecting the theme of happiness.
60-Minute Video Competition:
The 60-minute video competition was another highlight of the day, encouraging participants to create engaging videos within a limited time frame. The videos covered a variety of topics, all emphasizing the importance of happiness and positivity in everyday life.
To recognize the outstanding talents displayed in both competitions, cash prizes were awarded to the winners. The competition not only helped discover new talents but also encouraged young minds to express themselves creatively.
While talking on the occasion, COTHM Director Media & Marketing and CAP Manager Fraaz Kasuri said that CAP and COTHM believe in spreading happiness by empowering the youth of Pakistan with skills and career opportunities.
The talent put up by the participants on International day of Happiness 2025 is a treat to watch and COTHM and CAP will keep engaging its students and members in healthy activities so that a happy and prosperous generation might be nurtured.
The EHTL, the Ecole Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Luxembourg, recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. Among the well-wishers was the Worldchefs Association President, Andy Cuthbert. The Worldchefs President, a native Australian who has been living and working in Dubai for 20 years, was elected to this position in October 2024. Christian Schmit interviewed him on the sidelines of the academic session.
From washing dishes at his cousin’s restaurant in Melbourne to becoming the General Manager at one of the most renowned hotel resorts in the United Arab Emirates, and now President of Worldchefs. Where do the challenges for the future of gastronomy lie? How do we feed the world’s population? The keyword is “My plate my planet”.
“So for us as chefs it is important that we are able to know and be aware of where our products, food, actually come from. How can we best process these and when should that product be processed. A good friend of mine in the United Arab Emirates, originally from Syria, told me that maybe we should think again about working with food from our own country, instead of always importing everything. Using ingredients, valuing them and trying to bring in those that come from one’s own country and culture, and then refining such recipes in our kitchen.”
It is also important to make the difference between what is truly sustainable: is it just green washing? is it just for the sake of having a lot of followers on social media? Worldchefs also sees the responsibility of ensuring that less food is thrown away.
“When you see how much food is thrown away every day around the world, it’s huge. And when you see that farmers destroy their crops for whatever reason… That shouldn’t be, we have to work on that. And we as the Worldchefs Association have to pass that message on to our members, but also through education in schools. Our Worldchefs Group‘Feed the Planet’ must communicate this message to the younger generations so that they become more aware of this problem.”
Yes, Andy Cuthbert is particularly fond of the next generation. They are excited about the “Power of the White Jacket.”
“The young must be convinced and supported to work and stay in their job, with passion. Not just for 10 years but for their entire lives, just as we have dedicated our lives to the gastronomy industry. But in the development of young chefs, we must listen to what they want, and understand their dreams. We must tell them the dreams of hospitality and gastronomy that we have experienced, just as we have experienced our own.”
The Worldchefs Association was founded in 1928 by August Escoffier at the Sorbonne in Paris. The association is already planning for its centenary, with 100 member countries and more to come. Worldchefs wants to continue to be the recognized voice for chefs around the globe, but also the advocacy partner for the food industry, and even work with larger organizations such as the United Nations and the WHO, the World Health Organization.
And then we come to talk about EXPOGAST and the Culinary World Cup 2026 with Andy Cuthbert as Worldchefs President.
“Oh yes, this is going to be a big moment again. The quality of the EXPOGAST with the teams that are coming, the whole organization, the support of the students from the hotel school in service. EXPOGAST, for me, is a competition that no one should miss, now as president of Worldchefs even more so, and I will be there.”
Chefs Association of Pakistan (CAP), the only national association of chefs in Pakistan affiliated with Worldchefs, organized a grand membership award ceremony at Al-Hamara Mall Road, Lahore, Pakistan. The event was attended by a large number of junior chefs, professional chefs, and home chefs, all of whom received their membership certificates.
The event was graced by several prominent figures, including International Hospital Expert John Lohr, Cheezious CEO Imran Ijaz, ODR Foods CEO Shahzad Makki, Former CM Complaint Cell Director Shahid Qadir, renowned businessman Azhar Pasha, former Mayor of Lahore Colonel Mubasher, and Prime Minister Youth Program Representative Rizwan Anwar, among others.
Above 1000 junior chefs, professional chefs and home chefs received their membership certificates on the occasion.
CAP, on the occasion, also announced its team that is going to take part in ‘The Ultimate Chefs Challenge’ in Bangkok, Thailand from May 27 – May 31, 2025.
To honour and acknowledge the hard work of female chefs, a group of female home chefs was also awarded with honourary memberships of CAP.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahmad Shafiq, President of the Chefs Association of Pakistan, emphasized that the Chefs Association of Pakistan is the only national organization representing Pakistani chefs on an international level. He also highlighted that members of the Chefs Association of Pakistan automatically become part of Worldchefs, which offers them opportunities to grow internationally in their field.
New members of the Chefs Association of Pakistan shared their excitement, stating that it is the only platform in Pakistan where they can effectively showcase their skills and abilities.
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