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About the Arctic Young

Chef tournament

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Calling all aspiring young chefs under 30 in Iceland, 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 Chefs Tournament!

Introduction

The Arctic Young Chefs Tournament aims to foster collaboration, celebrate culinary diversity, and promote the use of underutilized ingredients from the North Atlantic region. First, we will host a series of semi-final national tournaments in Iceland, Faroes, Greenland, and Norway.

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

  • Iceland 16th March
  • Greenland 11th May
  • Faroe Islands 17th August
  • Norway 11th September

Contestants

6-8 young chefs or food enthusiasts per country under the age of 30, competing at a national level

Time

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

Prize:

Winners of national semi-finals
receive DKK 10.000.

  • All the national semi-finalists will also receive funding to travel to a work visit in another NORA country
  • Each winner of the national semi-final will move forward for the final competition in Norway.
  • The winner of the final competition will get DKK 25.000.
  • The winner will get an opportunity to visit a arctic restaurant free of choice for a week, NORA will cover transport. The other finalists will also be given opportunity to visit a restaurant in another NORA country. NORA will cover transport expences.
  • Travel and accommodation for the national semi-final competition and also the final competition will be covered by NORA.

Competition Focus

  • Focus is on the utilization of ingredients that are not often used – Utilize underutilized resources such as kidneys and other viscera or less commonly used fish, etc.
  • Focus is on traditional culinary skills merged with innovation and creativity
  • The dishes should take sustainability and food waste into consideration.
  • The dishes should be available in a ‘simpler’ version that could be used in i.e. schools or cantinas
  • IN each country the ingredients will be local and to some extent based on the tradition.
  • In each competition the arrangers will provide the contestants with a mystery box, a week before the competition some ingredients will be published so contestant can prepare
  • Each contestant will make 5 ‘copies’ of each dish, the 3 judges will get one each, one is for ‘show’ and one for photo.
  • 3 judges will decide who is the winner. 2 local judges and one guest from another NORA country.

Finale

The climax of the tournament will be at The Arctic Circle Assembly held in Reykjavík, Iceland, on October 19th.

How to apply

Please write to us and answer the following questions:

  • What are your thought on north Atlantic cooperation and how do you see that you contribute to the cooperation amongst chefs in the region?
  • Which 3 underutilized ingredients would you like to use? Underutilized is in the meaning that they are not so much used, but are also more or less easy to get hold on, they might even have been used in the ‘old days’.
  • What is your best local or/and traditional dish?

Please submit your written application in English to the contact person for your country (see below).

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a culinary journey like no other! Whether you’re a budding chef, an apprentice or a passionate food enthusiast, the NORA Arctic Young Chefs Tournament welcomes you to showcase your talent, creativity, and love for Arctic cuisine.

Let’s ignite the Arctic culinary scene together.

Ready. Steady. Cook!

Where and when

Reykjavik

Iceland

16th MARCH 2024

Ilulissat

Greenland

11th MAY 2024

Klaksvik

Faroe Islands

17th AUGUST 2024

Mosjøen

Norway

11th SEPTEMBER 2024

Harpa Reykjavík

Iceland

19th OCTOBER 2024