England Wins IIHM’s Young Chef Olympiad; India-UAE Lift Dr. Suborno Bose Challenge Trophy

World’s largest collaborative competition for young chefs concludes with a grand closing ceremony in Kolkata

KOLKATA, India, Feb. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Kamran Taylor, a young chef from England, was crowned champion at the world’s largest competition for young chefs, the IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad, which featured participants from 50 countries.

In a glittering Grand Finale of the 11th edition of YCO, contested by the top ten teams after the first two rounds, Armenia’s Arsen Armenakyan secured the Silver, while Yves Gabriel Cabrera Po from the Philippines won the Bronze Trophy.

The 11th edition of the Young Chef Olympiad was organized by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) in partnership with the International Hospitality Council (IHC), London.

The host country, India, made the nation proud as Chef Aliakbar Mustafa Rampurawala from IIHM Bangalore won the prestigious Dr. Suborno Bose Culinary International Challenge Prize, along with UAE’s Jasmin Ali Maher Lutfi Jarrar. This unique category featured 28 teams, which were not placed in either the Grand Finale or the Plate rounds. They were divided into 14 pairs, representing two countries each, in a spirit of culinary collaboration.

The Plate Trophy, contested by teams ranked between 11 and 20 after the first round, was proudly lifted by South Korea’s Shi-Hyun An.

The YCO Champion, Plate Trophy winner, and Dr. Suborno Bose International Culinary Challenge recipients were chosen after two rounds of intense competition showcasing the best culinary talents from around the world.

Dr. Suborno Bose, Chairman of the Young Chef Olympiad, said, “The world of culinary arts is united under the grand Kolkata sky. Culinary diplomacy means this. In a united world of young chefs, it’s the best way to make the world happy and sustainable through food. Only in India can you achieve something like this. This year, YCO felt like a family, and we had a new venue for the opening ceremony in Goa, on the banks of the Arabian Sea.”

Prof David Foskett OBE, Chairman of the Jury for YCO said, “YCO is a grand celebration of friendship, Unity and Passion. It depicts the unifying power of food in a world of conflict. YCO can happen only in India, under the visionary leadership of Dr Bose, who does again and again and again.

Padmashri Chef Sanjeev Kapoor remarked, “YCO is surely about compassion. But when you do it for 11 years, you multiply the compassion. YCO is also about competition with collaboration. Dr Bose is not only a lovable madman with a golden jacket, but he is a man of steel.”

Dr. Bose also highlighted IIHM’s efforts in integrating AI into hospitality and hospitality education. He announced IIHM’s Global Knowledge Sharing Declaration on AI in Hospitality with 50 countries, promoting inclusivity, human touch, and sustainability.

On a magical night in Kolkata, everyone emerged as winners, as the united world of young chefs celebrated their roles as ambassadors of culinary diplomacy, dancing into the night amidst a swirl of colours and cultures.

Contact Details:  
Mr. Abdullah Ahmed
Chief Operating Office 
IIHM Hotel school group
Abdullah.ahmed@iihm.ac.in 

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