The International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) in partnership with the International Hospitality Council London, is organising the 6th edition of the International Young Chef Olympiad. The world’s biggest culinary battle for student chefs, YCO 2020 will be held from January  28 to February 2 across five Indian cities including Delhi, Pune, Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

Student chefs from 60 top culinary and hospitality institutions across the world, including Escola Superior d’ Hostaleria de Barcelona (Spain), The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (Jordan), South African Academy of Culinary Arts (South Africa), At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy (Singapore), IPPSAR Maffioli (Italy), Johnson and Wales University (USA), Albert De Mun Hotel & Catering School (France) and B.H.M.S Business and Hotel Management School (Switzerland) among others, will be participating in this grand culinary battle. Adopting the theme of ‘Sustainability’, this year the competition will be uniting the young talent of the culinary world to champion the sustainability revolution through positive action.

Talking about YCO 2020, Dr Suborno Bose, the CEO of International Hospitality Council (IHC) and Founder YCO, said, “YCO, today, is the biggest and the best culinary event in the world for student chefs. It was curated with the intention of bringing the young and promising future stars of the international culinary community on a single platform so that they could connect as well as share ideas and innovations while creating something exceptional out of their experiences. It provides a global platform fostering the spirit of youth, friendship, inclusiveness and camaraderie. Moreover, by making sustainability the theme for this year, we are championing the cause with the involvement of young people who will help determine and shape the future through a global impact.”

Varun Tej Reddy from IIHM Hyderabad will represent India at this global event. Sharing his excitement, he said, “It is a moment of pride for me to represent India at YCO 2020. The process was tough but I am glad that through my dedication and hard work, I made it to the top out of more than 5000 applicants. YCO will give me a great opportunity to exchange knowledge with Michelin star chefs and other industry experts.” Varun, who has great interest in French cuisine, added, “This platform will give young talents, who have received the same kind of training and same kind of discipline, an opportunity  to come together for a great cultural and knowledge exchange.”