The S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015 awards has included Africa as one of its chosen regions for the first time, presenting an opportunity for young aspiring chefs to gain recognition on a global scale. (S.Pellegrino is also the sponsor of Eat Out’s Chef of the Year award, won this year by Chanel Dartnall of Restaurant Mosaic.)

Young chefs can submit their entries online up until 15 December 2014 by completing an online application form and attaching a recipe and photos of what they consider to be their signature dish. Anyone can enter provided they are between the ages of 18 and 30 and have worked professionally as a chef, sous chef or chef de partie for at least one year. Online entries will be judged according to five golden rules: ingredients, skills, genius, beauty, and message. The top 20 finalists from each world region will be announced by the end of February 2015 and the winners will be whisked away to Milan in June for a chance at a global title.

“We have so much talent in this country and I believe this is an amazing opportunity for one of our locals to represent and showcase how great we are,” says Kelly Dido, account manager for S.Pellegrino.

How to enter

1. Visit the S. Pellegrino page  on www.finedininglovers.com
2. Read the rules.
3. Click ‘apply now’ and register.
4. Complete the application form and attach all the necessary documents.

The deadline for all applications is 15 December 2014

Good luck!