Apply now! INTERNORGA is on the lookout for talented chefs and industry trendsetters

10/12/2023

With just under five months until INTERNORGA gets underway, the application phase for two of the highest-profile competitions in the foodservice and hospitality market is beginning. The Next Chef Award looks for talented young cooks, who showcase their culinary skills during the leading international trade fair for hotels, restaurants, bakery and confectionery. The prestigious INTERNORGA Future Award is bestowed upon companies that aim for innovation, sustainability, and a forward-looking approach. Both events are part of the varied trade fair programme from 8 to 12 March 2024.

Who will be the Next Chef?

A good chef needs many skills, not least creativity, craftsmanship and, of course, a good sense of taste. But when it comes to judging the up-and-coming talents of the Next Chef Award, celebrity chef Johann Lafer and INTERNORGA focus on passion as well as skill. The competition will again take place over three days in the Hamburg exhibition halls in 2024. ‘The Next Chef Award can make dreams come true. It offers the ideal opportunity to test yourself in direct comparison and gain an objective picture of where you stand,’ says Anne Brandes, 2023 winner and a chef at the restaurant of Hamburg’s AMERON Hotel Speicherstadt. ‘Winning really is an amazing springboard for your career. I have received great offers for fantastic projects with all kinds of people.’ As the first female winner of the competition, the 26-year-old is delighted to have her own cookbook being published by the well-known Gräfe und Unzer publishing house – the main prize of the Next Chef Award.

Up-and-coming cooking talents from Germany, Austria and Switzerland can apply for the Next Chef Award. They must not be older than 26 with completed vocational training. Training completed in any sector of the gastronomy sector – such as restaurants or various forms of catering – is eligible. Their performance will be judged by a jury made up of major figures in the industry, who will select 18 candidates by 31 December 2023. Six of them will then compete against each other from 9 to 11 March 2024. The task: to cook a main course in 60 minutes from four identical ingredients in front of a live audience and the jury of experts. Those who make it through will face the challenge of cooking one of Johann Lafer’s dishes in the final – without a recipe, but with all their talent and no shortage of adrenaline.

Detailed information on the competition and the conditions of entry can be found at: Next Chef Award - INTERNORGA

Visionaries wanted!

The INTERNORGA Future Award is another high-profile competition. Since 2011, it has awarded prizes in three categories to companies that set new standards with exceptional courage and outstanding commitment and act as a driving force for the industry. The Future Award is considered to be one of the most important national and international awards in the foodservice and hospitality market and will be presented as part of INTERNORGA 2024.

The application phase is now officially underway and will run until 15 January 2024 on the INTERNORGA Future Award page. In the ‘Catering & Hotel Industry’ category, companies can apply themselves or be nominated by others. Only exhibitors at INTERNORGA are eligible for the other two categories, ‘Food & Beverages’ and ‘Technology & Equipment’. ‘Receiving the INTERNORGA Future Award is a very special honour for us – it reaffirms our mission as a company to produce plant-based meat that tastes just as good as that from animals, but is better for the future of our planet. We would recommend any company to take part in the competition and give their innovative ideas a platform,’ says Benjamin Döring, Senior Brand Manager DACH, Beyond Meat, winner in the ‘Food & Beverages’ category.

‘We had a positive experience throughout. Winning the INTERNORGA Future Award was a very important catalyst for us. We achieved nationwide awareness of the Nesto brand in one fell swoop. The competition makes very fast industry-wide networking possible, which is something to make the most of,’ says Sven Steinkuhl, Managing Director of Nesto Software GmbH, winner in the ‘Technology & Equipment’ category. The field of 2023 winners is rounded off by Tollwood in the category ‘Catering & Hotel Industry’: ‘The Future Award motivated us to remain committed and consistently pursue our sustainability concept,’ says Daniela Schmid, Project Manager for ‘Human and Nature’ at Tollwood GmbH.

Save the date! INTERNORGA will take place from 8 to 12 March 2024 at the Hamburg Messe und Congress exhibition centre, offering a first-class programme: talks on the INTERNORGA Open Stage, high-quality networking in the OFF THE RECORD Afterwork Lounge and a huge number of exhibitors for the entire foodservice and hospitality market. The Next Chef Award and the INTERNORGA Future Award are representative of the outstanding energy and creativity throughout the whole industry.

About INTERNORGA

INTERNORGA is the leading international trade fair for hotels, restaurants, bakery and confectionery. As an annual meeting place for those industries, it will take place from 8 to 12 March 2024 on the grounds of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. National and international exhibitors will present their products, trends and innovations for the entire foodservice and hospitality market to trade visitors. The trade show is accompanied by international conferences, an extensive supporting programme, and innovative industry competitions.

Further information can be found on the website www.internorga.com and on the INTERNORGA LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook social media channels.

Press material for download: hmc.canto.de/v/O9IRBKASD9/album/TH03V

Press releases: https://www.internorga.com/en/infos/press/press-releases

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