Lee Maan Ki of Hong Kong’s International Culinary Institute of VTC wins YCO 2021

Lee Maan Ki of Hong Kong’s International Culinary Institute of VTC wins the International Young Chef Olympiad 2021

• As the winner of the 7th edition of the world’s biggest culinary completion for student chefs, Ki gets a cheque for USD 10,000, the YCO 2021 Champion Trophy and recognition from globally renowned experts from the food and hospitality industry 

• Student from the International Centre for Culinary Arts UAE wins the silver while the bronze medal goes to a student from Wellington Institute of Technology of New Zealand

New Delhi, February 9, 2021: After a week-long intense culinary battle, Lee Maan Ki, a student of Hong Kong’s International Culinary Institute (ICI) of VTC, has emerged as the winner of the International Young Chef Olympiad 2021. Organized by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) in partnership with the International Hospitality Council London, YCO 2021 witnessed Srijaenthi Natraj, representing International Centre for Culinary Arts of UAE, winning the silver and Jessica Louise Hoskins from New Zealand’s Wellington Institute of Technology bagging the bronze medal. As the winner of the 7th edition of the world’s biggest culinary competition for student chefs, Ki has been awarded a cheque for USD 10,000 and the YCO 2021 Champion Trophy. 

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition of YCO was held as the world’s biggest Virtual Culinary Battle for Hope that witnessed participation from student chefs representing hospitality and culinary institutions from 50 countries across 6 continents and 24 time zones. At the Closing Ceremony, also held online, the winners connected and celebrated their win over video conferencing as their names were announced by Prof David Foskett (Chairman of the Jury, YCO 2021) and Padma Shri Chef Sanjeev Kapoor (Principal Judge, YCO 2021).

“YCO 2021 has brought a lot of hope to many people around the world and that is the most important thing today. Hope, unity and positivity is the spirit of YCO that unites the world. ‘Bounce Back’ is the mantra of 2021 and YCO 2021. We can confidently say that hospitality industry is bouncing back and YCO 2021 is showing the path and giving hope to everyone. The young chefs of the world have overcome all barriers to make this competition happen. The commitment, passion and hard work of judges made this culinary competition possible,” said Dr Suborno Bose, Chairman, YCO.

Apart from the three winners, YCO 2021 had a long list of special category winners. The Plate Trophy round, held between the participants ranked 11 to 20 in the competition, went to Andzhela Boeva of HRC Culinary Academy in Bulgaria. The Best Chicken Dish went to UAE’s International Centre for Culinary Arts, while the Best Vegetarian Dish went to Tunisia’s Académie Atpac. The Best Afternoon Tea Eclairs Award went to Hong Kong’s International Culinary Institute (ICI) of VTC. 

Six Mentor Awards were given away based on each of the mentor’s recommendations about their respective participants. The awards went to Colombia (Augustinian University), Spain (Escola Superior d´Hostaleria de Barcelona), Canada (Canadore College), Namibia (Silverspoon Hospitality Academy), Equatorial Guinea (Grand Hotel Djibloho Culinary School) and Italy (I I S Almerico Da Schio – Vicenza). The six Best Young Chef Ambassador Awards went to Bangladesh (NHTTI), Bulgaria (HRC Culinary Academy), India (IIHM Kolkata), Barbados (Barbados Community College, Hospitality Institute), Gambia (Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute) and Iceland (Hospitality and Culinary School of Iceland). The participants were also marked on Best Hygiene and Kitchen Practice maintained during competition and this award went to Canada (Canadore College). The Kitchen Cut Award for best recipe nutritional analysis and costing presentation went to Nepal (Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management). The entries for this award were judged by Chef John Wood, the founder of Kitchen Cut. 

Continuing from YCO 2020, the Sustainability Award, embracing the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, was presented to six countries this year. They were Iceland (Hospitality and Culinary School of Iceland), New Zealand (Wellington Institute of Technology), Equatorial Guinea (Grand Hotel Djibloho Culinary School), Bulgaria (HRC Culinary Academy), Jordan (The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts) and Sri Lanka (William Angliss Institute @SLIIT). A special award of The Spirit of YCO 2021 was given to Barbados (Barbados Community College, Hospitality Institute). 

YCO 2021 had a panel of 20 esteemed judges from around the world, led by Prof David Foskett (Chairman of the Jury) and Chief Judge Chef Brian Turner (celebrity TV chef and President of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts). Chef Andreas Muller (Programme Director (International Cuisine) at VTC, Hong Kong) was Deputy Chief Judge. Michelin-starred chefs Chris Galvin and John Wood, the Founder and Director of Kitchen Cut, Sicilian Chef Enzo Oliveri, were senior judges of the competition among several other iconic culinary professionals from around the world. Other renowned chef judges of the competition included Chef Stuart Littlejohn, Executive Chef of Oxford and Cambridge Club, UK, Chef Stephen Hogan, Executive Chef, The Corinthian Palace Hotel, Malta and others. 

YCO 2021 was a technological marvel that broke the barriers formed by the pandemic and consequent lockdown across the world. The event proved to the world that it is way beyond any pandemic and has stood as inspiration and showed the guiding light to the entire global hospitality industry that this is the year to Bounce Back from the setback of the last year. From the Opening Ceremony and the cook-offs to the United World of Young Chefs and Closing Ceremony, the entire event saw seamless connection of participants, mentors and judges from different geographies and time zones together at the same time on the same platform. For this to happen, IIHM Global Campus at Salt Lake in Kolkata was transformed into the YCO Global Studio where young chefs from 50 countries from across the world were seamlessly connected on the same online platform. 

Highlights of YCO 2021 can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUNL0jQACWY