Following an impressive Grand Finale performance by 20 of the most talented Young Chefs from across the globe in Milan, Mitch Lienhard came out victorious as the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016.

With his winning signature dish, “roasted duck with spiced orange and yam”, and counsel from assigned Mentor Chef Dominique Crenn, Mitch emerged among the competing twenty finalists from across the globe as the best Young Chef in the world.

 “It’s really exciting,” Mitch said, commenting on his big win. “I feel like I’ve prepared for this moment, but I don’t feel like I’ve prepared for this moment. I’m ecstatic.” In his presentation to the Grand Jury, he explained his winning dish was a reminder of his home state of Michigan, smelling of burning leaves and maple.

Mitch Lienhard was elected by a distinguished jury of seven internationally-acclaimed chefs, known as the “Seven Sages”, including David Higgs, Carlo Cracco, Gaggan Anand, Elena Arzak, Mauro Colagreco, Wylie Dufresne and Roberta Sudbrack. The extensive evaluation process was based on the criteria of the five “Golden Rules” of ingredients, skills, genius, beauty and message.

The Young Chef 2016 award ceremony was followed by a Gala dinner prepared by the one-and-only Massimo Bottura, whose Osteria Francescana of Modena, Italy, is n°1 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list 2016.

>>> Related: Read more about Massimo Bottura and watch his videos here

This year’s Grand Finale ceremony also included the awarding of two additional prizes. To celebrate the dish that best presents traditional elements in a contemporary way, the “Acqua Panna Contemporary Tradition Award” was given to Italian Alessandro Salvatore Raspisarda representing Italy. Additionally, for the first ever, an award voted by the public on www.finedininglovers.com for the most inspiring dish concept, the “Inspiring Message Award by S.Pellegrino”, was presented to winner Daniel Nates from Mexico, representing Latin America.

Nearly ten months since the launch of the international competition’s second edition in January 2016, which has seen participation from more than 3,000 talented Young Chefs from twenty different geographic regions worldwide, S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 has come to a close.

In order to compete in this extraordinary global event, the Young Chefs and their signature dishes had to pass several highly-selective preliminary rounds, starting with an initial screening by ALMA – the world’s leading international educational and training centre for Italian Cuisine (www.alma.scuolacucina.it).

Followed by the regional finals, during which the chefs finished first among nine other talented local contenders.  Applicants had initially submitted their applications, together with their signature dishes, on www.finedininglovers.com.

The Young Chef finalists were not alone on their road to glory, as after the regional finals they were each assigned a “Mentor Chef”, who advised them leading up to the finals on how to improve their signature dishes and help them prepare for the Grand Finale in Milan.

 Thanks to the invaluable partnership with ALMA, S.Pellegrino was able to successfully carry out its second edition of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef global talent search.

“Once again we’re proudly part of this international contest that makes Italy the center of the excellence – says Andrea Sinigaglia, ALMA general manager – the same excellence that ALMA chase through the education of its students and the relationship with big partners as S.Pellegrino, and that will mark the professional future of all these Young Chefs. Our chefs and teachers – more than 20 involved in the project – were really excited to be part of the selection and the organization of the event, from ingredients to the equipment, which is always a big challenge, consistent with ALMA’s mission.”

Being crowned S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 will offer Mitch Lienhard the extraordinary opportunity to gain worldwide visibility and a significant professional boost, as well as the chance to take part in several of the brand’s events around the world, including but not limited to those related to the Young Chef competition.

Commenting on his experience following his big win last year, S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015, Mark Moriarty said, “The 2015 edition of S.Pellegrino Young Chef provided me with an invaluable experience, both professionally and personally. Winning the competition was both an honor and privilege, and it has allowed me to gain invaluable experience cooking, networking and learning in a way I could never have done otherwise. I look forward to the next stage of my young career and wish this year’s recipient of the award the very best in the future.”