S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water today announced the ten U.S. finalists in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015 competition. These ten chefs will compete next month in New York City and the winner will continue on to the global challenge, held this summer in Milan.

S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015 received more than 3,000 nominations from across the globe. Finalists were carefully chosen by a panel of culinary experts from ALMA, the world’s leading international school of Italian cuisine. Each nominee submitted an original dish and was evaluated in accordance with the five “Golden Rules” - ingredients, skills, genius, beauty, and message.

“The nominees for this year’s Young Chef competition represent a remarkable level of creativity and culinary talent,” said Karen Ress, Vice President and General Manager, S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. “Between the chef contestants and our acclaimed judges, the U.S. preliminary promises to be a memorable event to identify our representative for this summer’s finale at EXPO Milano.”

The U.S. regional competition will take place on February 10, 2015 at Astor Center in New York City. Each chef contestant will produce their signature dish to be judged by renowned culinary judges, including Chef Paul Qui of qui restaurant in Austin, Texas, and Chef Blaine Wetzel of Willows Inn on Lummi Island in Washington.

The winning finalist from each global market will also be paired with a rising star in the fashion design industry, as part of a partnership between S.Pellegrino and Vogue Italia. With this exciting marriage of the culinary and design worlds, the couples will work together to create dishes and garment designs that both inspire and complement one another. Both food and fashion designs will be judged independently and also as a pair at the global finale, held at EXPO Milano on June 25-27, 2015.

The young chefs will present their signature dishes to a jury of seven celebrated international chefs, also known as the “Seven Sages”, comprised of Chef Gastón Acurio, Yannick Alléno, Massimo Bottura, Margot Janse, Yoshihiro Narisawa, Eric Ripert and Joan Roca. The winning chef contestant will be named S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015, while the winning duo will be named Best Couple Chef-Designer 2015.

The “S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015” competition promotes creative expression and innovation within the culinary industry and showcases the brand’s commitment to supporting emerging culinary talent all over the world.

The top 10 U.S. finalists are:

  • Caroline Williams, The Admiral, Asheville, NC
  • Christopher Teixeira, Chicago, IL
  • Dan Shu, Daniel, New York, NY
  • Daniel Beal, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, CA
  • Danny Sterling, The Everglades Club, Palm Beach, FL
  • Eric Rowse, The Eatery, Pasadenda, CA
  • Phillip Frankland Lee, Scratch Bar – The Gadarene Swine, Los Angeles, CA
  • Ramiro Exposito, Diegos Andalucia Tapas & Delicatessen, Miami, FL
  • Riley Huddleston, Godfrey Hotel Chicago, Chicago IL
  • Vinson Petrillo, Zero George Street Hotel and Restaurant, Charleston, SC

To see the complete list of global chef finalists or for more information on the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015 Competition, visit: https://www.finedininglovers.com/

Be sure to follow the #SPYoungChef for up to date news and announcements on the competition.

About S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water

The signature taste of S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water is created during a 30-year journey through the Italian Alps, where the water is naturally filtered. S.Pellegrino cleanses the palate and amplifies subtle flavors, making it the perfect complement to fine food and wines. This clean, refreshing taste helped S.Pellegrino become a preferred sparkling water in fine-dining restaurants in the USA, and pairs well with any occasion.

S.Pellegrino is proud to support a number of top culinary events, such as The James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year Award, S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Aspen Food and Wine Classic, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, and Identità Golose.For more information, visit www.facebook.com/SanPellegrinoUS or www.finedininglovers.com