Peter Lex of Germany wins Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Young Chef of the Year 2014

Chef Peter Lex of Germany has won the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs International Young Chef of the Year 2014.

He wins the Arthur Bolle trophy, a scholarship to Le Cordon Bleu School in Istanbul, a chocolate making course at Valrhona, a La Cornue oven shipped and installed anywhere in the world, and a full case of chefs knives from Wüsthof.

Lex was commended for his exceptional knowledge of modern and traditional cooking techniques, and his simple, contemporary menu, which demonstrated ability with a broad range of ingredients.

Rupert Garcia of Canada won second place, while Jhao-Rong Fu of Taiwan came in third. The UK was represented by Ricki Weston from South Lodge Hotel, Horsham, who won the UK competition earlier in the year.

In its 38th year, the contest took place on 5 September in Durban, South Africa. It is open to young chefs aged 27 and under, nominated by their employer, who must be a member of the Chaîne.

The competition involves designing and cooking a three-course menu for four people, using a set of basic ingredients presented in a "market basket", plus an array of "pantry staples", within three hours. This time includes half an hour for menu-designing and half an hour for presenting plates to the judges.

Last year’s competition took place in Istanbul, Turkey, and crowned Jan-Philipp Berner of Germany as the winner.Â

Founded in Paris in 1950, the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs acts as an international gastronomic society, to bring together professional and non-professional members from around the world, in the appreciation of fine dining and wine. It organises local, national and international events, such as the Young Sommelier of the Year competition.

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Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ Young Chef and Young Sommelier of the Year awards are open for entries >>