Select Page

About the Arctic Young

Chef tournament

Reykjavik · Ilulissat · Klaksvik · Mosjøen · Reykjavik · Ilulissat · Klaksvik · Mosjøen · Reykjavik · Ilulissat · Klaksvik · Mosjøen · Reykjavik · Ilulissat · Klaksvik · Mosjøen · Reykjavik · Ilulissat · Klaksvik · Mosjøen · Reykjavik · Ilulissat · Klaksvik · Mosjøen · Reykjavik · Ilulissat · Klaksvik · Mosjøen · Reykjavik · Ilulissat · Klaksvik · Mosjøen ·

The 2024 competition was a great success, bringing together young chefs from Iceland, Norway, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands across four host cities, with Norway’s Rune Helgeland crowned champion at the grand finale in Harpa, Reykjavík. Building on that momentum, the Arctic Young Chef returns in 2026. National qualifiers will take place in Klaksvík, Reykjavík and Mosjøen between August and October 2026, with the Greenland qualifier and grand finale to follow in 2027. Registration for young chefs opens on 15 May 2026.

Calling all aspiring young chefs under 24 in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Coastal Norway. Are you ready to showcase your culinary skills on an Arctic stage? We are thrilled to extend an open invitation to all aspiring young chefs and food enthusiasts to participate in the NORA Arctic Young Chef Tournament 2026!

Introduction

The Arctic Young Chef Tournament aims to foster collaboration, celebrate culinary diversity, and promote the use of underutilized ingredients from the North Atlantic region. First, we host a series of semi-final national tournaments in the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Greenland. Winners will be selected in each country, and they will then compete against each other in a grand finale! With this competition, we seek to identify the best young chefs and elevate traditional local ingredients to gourmet levels.

Competition Format

Semi-final tournament dates

  • Faroe Islands · 22 August 2026
  • Iceland · 5 September 2026
  • Norway · 28 October 2026
  • Greenland · 2027 (date to be announced)

    Contestants

    Up to 8 young chefs per country compete at the national level. Participants must be under the age of 25 and either a trained chef or an apprentice currently completing their culinary education. The national tournaments bring together emerging talent from across each region — sharing skills, exchanging ideas, and competing for the chance to represent their country in the grand finale.

    Time

    The chefs will have 3 hours to prepare a starter and a main dish

    Prize:

    • Semi-final winners in each participating country receive ISK 100,000.
    • Each national winner advances to the grand finale in Iceland in 2027.
    • The grand finale winner receives ISK 250,000 in prize money and the title of Arctic Young Chef 2027.

    Travel and Accommodation

    The organising team supports participants in reaching the competition venues by helping coordinate routes, accommodation, and practical arrangements. Participants are expected to contribute towards their own travel costs, while the organisers work to make the journey as straightforward and affordable as possible.

    The AYC Stage Programme

    Beyond the prize money, every finalist gains access to the AYC professional network — a platform that connects young chefs with established restaurants across Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland. Finalists who wish to broaden their experience may request placement at a partner restaurant in another NORA country, with the organising team providing introductions, recommendations, and formal arrangements with the host kitchen. Travel and accommodation are organised by the participant.

      Competition Focus

      • Underutilized ingredients: Competitors are challenged to work with resources that are often overlooked — such as offal, kidneys, lesser-known fish species, and other parts of raw materials that would otherwise go to waste.
      • Tradition meets innovation: Dishes should merge traditional culinary skills with creativity and modern technique.
      • Sustainability and food waste: Every dish must take sustainability and food waste into consideration, both in ingredient choice and preparation.
      • An everyday version: Each dish should also be presentable in a simpler version that could realistically be served in schools, canteens, and other public kitchens — making the ideas accessible to the wider community.
      • Local and rooted: In each country, the ingredients will be local and grounded, to some extent, in regional tradition.
      • The mystery box: At each competition, the organisers provide a mystery box on the day. A selection of ingredients will be announced two week in advance so competitors can prepare and develop their concepts.
      • Plating: Each contestant prepares 5 plates of every dish — one for each of the three judges, one for display, and one for photography.
      • The judges: Each competition is judged by a panel of three — two local judges and one guest judge from another NORA country, ensuring a cross-border perspective in every round

      Finale

      The Grand Finale

      Two years. Four nations. Four winners. One title.

      The Arctic Young Chef grand finale will be held in Iceland in 2027, bringing together the national champions from the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Greenland for the ultimate showdown. Each finalist competes alongside their national runner-up — who joins as commis chef — in a high-pressure test of skill, creativity, and chemistry in the kitchen. By the end of the day, only one young chef will be crowned Arctic Young Chef 2027 and recognised as the leading culinary voice of the North Atlantic’s next generation.

      How to Apply

      Registration for the 2026 national semi-finals opens on 15 May 2026 for the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Norway. Registration for the Greenland semi-final will open in 2027 — date to be announced.

      To apply, complete the registration form for your country:

      As part of your application, we ask you to:

      • Submit a short video introducing yourself, telling us why you want to take part in the Arctic Young Chef and what competing in it would mean to you. The video should be no longer than 2 minutes and can be filmed on a phone — we are looking for personality and passion, not production value.
      • Answer the following questions in writing (English):
        • How do you see the future of North Atlantic culinary cooperation, and what could you bring to it as a young chef?
        • Name three underutilized ingredients you would like to work with. By “underutilized” we mean ingredients that are not commonly used today but are reasonably accessible — perhaps something that was used in your region in the old days.
        • What is your favourite local or traditional dish, and why does it mean something to you?

      Applications close at the end of the day on the deadline shown above for each country. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the coordinator for your country (see contact information below).

      The next generation of North Atlantic chefs will shape how this region eats, what we grow, and what we choose to value. The Arctic Young Chef is a chance to be part of that conversation — not just to cook, but to ask what good food can mean for the Arctic and the people who live here.

      Ready. Steady. Cook!

      Where and when

      Klaksvik

      Faroe Islands

      22. August 2026

      Reykjavik

      Iceland

      5. September 2026

      Mosjøen

      Norway

      28. October 2026

      Ilulissat

      Greenland

      2027 (date tba)

      Reykjavik

      Iceland

      Grand Finale 2027