The NEXT CHEF AWARD is more than just a competition; it is a stage for genuine creativity, passion and skill, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2026. The jury will once again be led by top chef and co-initiator Johann Lafer, who has been involved with the NEXT CHEF AWARD since 2016. Together with a total of eight top-class professional chefs, including Cornelia Poletto (Restaurant Cornelia Poletto, among others), Christoph Rüffer (Restaurant Haerlin) and Karlheinz Hauser (HAUSER COLLECTION GmbH), as well as Philipp Vogel (Restaurant Orania.Berlin), Marco Müller (Rutz), Robin Pietsch (restaurants including “Pietsch” and “Zeitwerk” by Robin Pietsch) and Tim Mälzer (restaurants including Bullerei), he will put the young talents’ skills to the test and evaluate their abilities in terms of technique, flavour and creativity. The event will be hosted by Johann Lafer himself together with Sebastian E. Merget. Together, they will provide plenty of entertainment and exciting insights on stage.
The 18 nominees will compete against each other in three challenging preliminary rounds on 15 and 16 March in the Kitchen Technology & Equipment exhibition area, Hall B6. The list of participants alone tells a story. From fine dining in top hotels to creative restaurant concepts and even the kitchen of a football stadium, a wide variety of talents and cuisines are brought together here. Chefs from Germany, Denmark, Austria, Iceland and Italy bring their personal styles, experiences and culinary influences to the table. It is precisely this diversity that makes the award so special. Those who make it through will advance to the final on 16 March at 3 p.m., where they will taste a dish created by Johann Lafer and have to recreate it without a recipe. This is about skill, precision of taste, creative vision and, last but not least, strong nerves. Those who can harmoniously combine the components even under time pressure will plate up a real statement of intent. Johann Lafer emphasises: ‘With the NEXT CHEF AWARD, we give young chefs a stage which offers them visibility and a chance to grow. I am particularly pleased that there are many female chefs represented this year and that the list of participants is more international than ever before. The competition stands for development, exchange and real prospects, demonstrating how attractive and versatile the culinary profession is.’
Big moments and real career boosts await the winners. Whoever secures the title of NEXT CHEF 2026 will not only enjoy the spotlight, but will also receive extraordinary opportunities that go far beyond the competition, to mark the tenth anniversary of the award. This includes publishing her own cookbook with ZS Verlag (Edel Verlagsgruppe GmbH) as well as the opportunity to develop a menu as a guest chef for Lufthansa Airlines’ Business Class. This is a unique opportunity to present their own culinary signature to an international audience. Second and third place will not go home empty-handed either: the runner-up will receive a Pacojet, which takes creativity in the kitchen to a new level. Third place will receive a high-quality knife set from KAI, which stands for precision, quality and genuine culinary artisanship. All in all, the prizes are not just awards, but real milestones for the next big step in the participants’ culinary careers.
The participants in 2026
Challenge 1: Sunday, 15 March 2026, 11 a.m., Hall B6
· Katharina Aichhorn (Brenners Park-Hotel – Baden-Baden)
· Johanna Falke (Hotel & Spa Suiten FreiWerk – Südharz)
· Jakob Hertel (Landhaus Stricker – Sylt)
· Dominik Lange (Restaurant Kleine Brunnenstraße 1 – Hamburg)
· Johannes Neerschulte (Hotel Panorama Royal – Bad Häring, Austria)
· Louis Thomsen (Lighthouse Hotel & Spa – Büsum)
Challenge 2: Sunday, 15 March 2026, 3 p.m., Hall B6
· Sean Paul Blau (The Ritz-Carlton, Restaurant Terra – Wolfsburg)
· Kateryna Boniakevych (Lothar Mai Haus – Hofbieber)
· Ahmadreza (Ramin) Fallahi (Landhotel Voshövel – Schermbeck, Lower Rhine)
· Denis Pasala (Burgrestaurant Nideggen – Nideggen)
· Kevin Rath (Borussia Dortmund – Dortmund)
· Tina Võ (Syttende, Alsik Hotel & Spa – Sønderborg, Denmark)
Challenge 3: Monday, 16 March 2026, 11 a.m., Hall B6
· Chahine Batouch (Hotel Heselbacher Hof – Baiersbronn)
· Anika Döring (Restaurant OTO – Reykjavik, Iceland)
· Saraswati Utami Putri Hardijono (Hilton Frankfurt City Center – Frankfurt am Main)
· Arez Raza (Finsterwirt – Brixen, Italy)
· Finley Rust (NENI Berlin – Berlin)
· Marla Vergin (self-employed with a private fine-dining catering service)
The final will take place at 3 p.m. on 16 March 2026.
From 13 to 17 March, INTERNORGA 2026 will offer a unique experience, and not just for the up-and-coming chefs. The diverse supporting programme with awards, talks and food for thought on stages such as the OPEN STAGE, at What The Food! – by foodlab, in the PINK CUBE and at the Deep Dive Area offers in-depth expert knowledge and opens up new perspectives.
Press material for download: hmc.canto.de/b/P8SHK
