S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water announced the anticipated return of S.Pellegrino Young Chef, an extraordinary culinary competition that recognizes leading young chefs worldwide. Following the success of past events, the third edition of S.Pellegrino Young Chef will feature talent from an expanded 21 global regions and will take place over the span of 18 months. It will begin with the call for applications on February 1, 2017 and will culminate with the announcement of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 winner at the Grand Finale in Milan in June 2018.

With the new extended competition timeline, chef candidates will now have more time to work side-by-side with their assigned Chef Mentors to improve their signature dishes and refine their skill set in preparation for the finals. The global competition will also feature a distinguished panel of judges, named the Seven Sages, which is comprised of some of the most celebrated culinary masters of the world. These judges are responsible for deciding the winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 at the finals in Milan, Italy. Past judges include Wylie Dufresne (USA), Elena Arzak (Spain), Mauro Colagreco (France) and Roberta Sudbrack (Brazil).

Winners of S.Pellegrino Young Chef are presented with the opportunity to gain global visibility, as well as the chance to take part in several of the brand’s annual events around the world, including those related to the Young Chef competition. Previous winners of the competition are Ireland-based S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015, Mark Moriarty and U.S.-based S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016, Mitch Lienhard. Last year, Chef Lienhard worked closely with acclaimed chef Dominique Crenn who served as his Chef Mentor leading up to and during the competition.

“It is a great honor to be named S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016,” says S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 winner, Mitch Lienhard of the United States, Chef de Cuisine of Manresa in Los Gatos, California. “The experience has provided many unforgettable moments so far, and I am thankful for the impact the title will have in my career. I look forward to continuing my work with S.Pellegrino to help find the culinary world’s best new talent and serving as a mentor to future competitors.”

Chef contestants will have the opportunity to submit an application and their signature dish if they are 30 years of age or younger. They must have at least one year of experience working at a restaurant and hold the position of a chef, sous chef or chef de partie. ALMA, the world’s leading international educational and training center for Italian cuisine, will select up to 10 semi-finalists for each of the 21 regional competitions. From there, semifinalists will compete in front of a regional jury of acclaimed chefs and one winner from each market will continue on to participate in the Grand Final Event in Milan in 2018.

Call for chef applications will open on February 1, 2017 at Sanpellegrino.com and will close on through April 30, 2017.