Historic Hungarian victory at the World Youth Chef Championship

The Chaine World Youth Chef Championship, also known as the precursor to the Bocuse d’Or, aims to support the development of young culinary talents and compete internationally. The finals at the METRO Gastro Academy saw a Hungarian victory: Patrik Nyikos, who had already served as a commis at the 2023 Bocuse d’Or, triumphed.

The podium winners in the company of Lázár Kovács

Patrick Nyikos’ victory is a half-century success, as it is the first time in the history of the Chaine Young Chef World Championships that a Hungarian competitor has stood on the top step of the podium! According to the rules of the competition, the Chaine Young Chef World Championship pits young chefs under the age of 27 against each other in their culinary arts, typically with several years of experience in award-winning and renowned restaurants – in many cases Michelin-starred. Over its more than 50-year history, the competition has given impetus to the careers of prominent figures in Hungarian gastronomy, such as Lázár Kovács, Tamás Széll, Szabina Szulló, Attila Bicsár, Zsolt Götz, Csaba Ádám, Ádám Mede, Bence Dalnoki, Richárd Csillag and Levente Lendvai.
This year’s world championship took place as part of a five-day program series, with the participation of 19 competitors and the participation of 12 jury members from all five continents, providing an opportunity to get acquainted with excellent Hungarian ingredients.

Homegrown flavors, mandatory ingredients
The venue for the final on October 4 and the mandatory ingredients typical of Hungarian culinary culture were provided by METRO Gastronomy Academy. The special feature of the Chaine World Youth Chef Championship is that the competitors do not prepare a thoroughly rehearsed menu, but rather, they independently create a 3-course menu in 4 portions in 4 hours using the contents of a “black box” made up of high-quality ingredients from the host country and presented only at the beginning of the competition. The “black box”