IIHM's Kotamsetti Teja took India to the finals of the global event; Albania, England, and Sri Lanka won the top three positions in the largest culinary event of young chefs in the world
KOLKATA, India, Feb. 10, 2026 -- After a week of brandishing knives, delivering cuts, and marinating rivalries with sizzle and bake, student chefs, enroute to becoming Michelin stars, all won the world's biggest culinary competition for student chefs—the IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad 2026. Across 40 countries from almost every continent in the world, they displayed the transformative power of food as a glue that binds humanity.
They broke bread. But they broke something bigger. Boundaries. Yes, there were gold, silver, and bronze winners, who have gone back to their countries, welcomed, embraced, and saluted by governments and institutions. There were 26 kilo trophies carried back with no weight on their shoulders, only a lightness of achievement. Yes, there were some medals. But many more memories.
For the 12th successive year, this Young Chef Olympiad, a brainchild of the visionary Chairman of IIHM, Dr. Suborno Bose, has pulled off the impossible—getting the world to cook collaboratively, display talent of a proportion that secures the future of culinary arts, and build a declared commitment of sharing and collaboration of knowledge from culinary colleges the world over, to preserve global culinary heritage, embracing AI as a tool for learning and time-saving, and fortifying human connections with that time.
The top three who stood as winners on the podium were excellent representatives of the spirit of the Young Chef Olympiad. The others who didn't get crowned may have missed out narrowly on marks, but stood tall as some of the world's best.
Like Kotamsetti Satya Teja, a student of IIHM Kolkata from coastal Andhra Pradesh, who showcased his craft in his home kitchen on a stage which had the best teams competing and took India to the finals, making him one of the ten best student chefs in the world. Teja was also awarded for his innovative use of AI for recipe analysis in his culinary ensemble, balancing taste and nutrition, and received the Kitchen Cut Award from top-notch Michelin-star chef John Wood.
Conceived, hosted, and nurtured by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), YCO 2026 unfolded again as a global movement in culinary education, cultural diplomacy, and responsible innovation.
From the opening ceremony at the sprawling Signature Club Resorts at Brigade Orchards in Bengaluru, the YCO caravan of different teams travelled across Delhi, Pune, Goa, and Hyderabad for the early rounds of the competition before converging in Kolkata for the final rounds of this global event.
On the grand finale stage under the clear night sky of Kolkata, Enri Cuedari of Albania, from Instituti Kulinari Neranxi, lifted the Golden Trophy and was crowned with the Golden Toque, becoming World Champion in what is widely recognised as the world's largest and most collaborative competition for student chefs.
England, the defending champion from YCO 2025, secured the silver medal through Dominic Thomas Grundy of Westminster Capital City College.
Sri Lanka claimed the bronze, represented by Vidanagamage Rumira Reshan Piyasiri of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management.
The Plate Trophy was won by Maelyss Helene Parrot of France, one of the world's finest culinary nations.
The Dr. Suborno Bose Challenge Trophy, a heartwarming competition where two countries are paired and cook a dish together, embodying how food has its own language of unity, was won by Ozodbek Odilov of Uzbekistan and Melquirudi Leki-Bere da Cunha of Timor-Leste.
A Festival of Learning, Not Just a Competition
Speaking at the conclusion of the Olympiad, Padma Shri Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Principal Judge of YCO 2026, described the event as a "festival of learning"—a phrase that resonated deeply with the students, mentors, and global jury assembled in Kolkata.
That sentiment was echoed and firmly anchored by Dr. Suborno Bose, Founder-Chairman of IIHM and Chief Mentor of the Young Chef Olympiad, who emphasised that learning lay at the heart of every design decision taken for YCO 2026.
"From the outset, YCO 2026 was designed not as a competition that teaches, but as an education system that happens to compete. Every kitchen, every city, every interaction was structured as learning," Dr. Bose said.
From competitive kitchens to symposium halls, from heritage research to peer collaboration, the Olympiad functioned as a living classroom—where performance and pedagogy coexisted seamlessly.
A Student-First Global Platform
At a time when large international events often prioritise spectacle, Dr. Bose underscored that YCO 2026 took a fundamentally different approach.
"YCO 2026 was unapologetically student-first. Every decision—competition formats, knowledge sharing, AI tools, MOUs, and global exchanges—was taken by asking one question: how does this serve student learning?" he emphasised.
This student-first philosophy was evident across the Olympiad's structure. The Top 10 finalists—representing Albania, England, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, Sweden, Canada, and Switzerland—earned their places through integrity, discipline, and respect for both tradition and innovation. More importantly, every participant, regardless of ranking, returned home with global exposure, lifelong peer networks, and shared learning.
Preserving Culinary Heritage in the Age of AI
The defining theme of YCO 2026—"Preserving the World's Global Culinary Heritage through AI"—ran through every competition, symposium, and side event. IIHM positioned Artificial Intelligence not as a replacement for craft, but as a guardian of memory—a tool to document, preserve, and respectfully carry culinary traditions forward.
For the first time in the Olympiad's history, participating countries were positioned as a living laboratory of global culinary heritage. Through the exchange of AI-enabled Culinary Heritage Dossiers, nations shared their ingredients, techniques, food philosophies, and cultural contexts—transforming fragile, often oral traditions into structured, living knowledge.
"Heritage is not nostalgia," Dr. Bose noted during the journey. "It is alive—experienced through people, kitchens, mistakes, learning, and friendships. AI helps us carry it forward responsibly."
IIHM also announced the development of country-specific Culinary Heritage GPTs, positioning YCO as the world's first AI-powered, country-by-country culinary knowledge platform built around a live global competition.
Global MOUs and Knowledge Without Borders
A major milestone during YCO week was the signing of Global MOUs and the Global Culinary Knowledge Declaration with institutions from 34 countries. These agreements embedded student exchange, faculty collaboration, AI-enabled learning, and shared research into IIHM's global academic framework.
Under the AI-LEAP (AI Literacy Education Acceleration Program), IIHM committed to inclusive, ethical AI education, reinforcing its philosophy of "High Tech, Higher Touch."
"This was never about signatures," Dr. Bose said. "It was about ensuring that students across continents learn together, grow together, and prepare responsibly for the future of hospitality."
Learning Beyond the Podium
The final days of YCO 2026 saw Chef Sanjeev Kapoor at IIHM's Kolkata Global Campus, where he conducted an inspiring Global Masterclass on Indian millets. The session highlighted nutrition, sustainability, and innovation—bridging ancient Indian wisdom with modern global kitchens.
Interacting closely with students, Chef Kapoor remarked that only IIHM could pull off an event like the Young Chef Olympiad, blending competition, education, culture, and technology into one cohesive global platform.
Competition with Conscience
Professor David Foskett, MBE, Chairman of the Grand Jury and Chairman of the International Hospitality Council, observed that YCO 2026 reaffirmed a vital truth about hospitality education.
"The future of our profession must move beyond textbooks and trophies," he said. "Through initiatives like the United World of Young Chefs, the Global Knowledge Sharing Declaration, and the Culinary Heritage Dossiers, YCO transformed competition into collaboration. Students returned home not just with sharper skills, but with friendships, stories, and global perspective."
A Finale—and a Beginning
The Grand Finale celebrations at Kolkata brought together culture, music, and shared joy, marking the culmination of an extraordinary global journey. Medals were awarded. Champions were crowned.
But what endured was far greater: a reaffirmation that education, not just excellence, lies at the heart of global culinary leadership.
The Olympiad ended.
The journey, unmistakably, had only just begun
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CONTACT: Mr Sujay Gupta, Group Director Media & Communications, IIHM Group, +91-9923057937,
sujay.gupta@iihm.ac.in
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