It was not meant to be. Canarian students fell just short of the awards in the finals of the XII Promises of haute cuisine award at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, held this Wednesday, April 17. Daniela Rodríguez from CPFP Hotel Escuela Santa Cruz Hecansa and Xavier Luis Boya from IES Punta Larga in Tenerife were among the ten finalists in the contested competition. Both presented their proposals with delicious and innovative dishes, but fell short. The winner was culinary student Jacobo Diz from CIFP Paseo das Pontes in A Coruña.
During the final, held at the headquarters of the University Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid, Daniela Rodríguez and Xavier Luis Boya competed alongside eight other candidates from different Autonomous Communities in a tough four-hour test where they had to prepare a dish using common techniques and ingredients: squab, rice, and a vegetable garnish.
Winner Jacobo Diz, the 2024 Haute Cuisine Promises Award, is in his final year of studies at CIFP Paseo das Pontes. After his victory, he was very excited and said, “I’m super proud of the work we’ve done these months, and very eager to come to this school to study. I hope to enjoy it a lot; it’s a profession where you never stop learning.”
Second place finisher, Carlos Navarro Pérez from the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián, also expressed satisfaction, stating that “reaching the final is already a prize.”
Dish by Daniela Rodríguez in the finals of the Le Cordon Bleu Madrid Haute Cuisine Promises Award. / LCB
The expert jury, chaired by Eduard Xatruch, one of the three chef owners of the restaurant Disfrutar (Barcelona), with three Michelin stars and three Repsol suns, and ranked 2nd in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Alongside him, the invited jury consisted of María José Martínez, owner and head chef of Restaurante Lienzo with a Michelin star, and Luis Suárez de Lezo, president of the Royal Academy of Gastronomy, as well as two chef instructors from Le Cordon Bleu Madrid.
Aspects such as technique, culinary skill, creativity, presentation, and taste of the recipe were crucial in the jury’s decision.
Eduard Xatruch praised the level shown by all the finalists. “As a chef, I am very pleased to see these young people who, in a super professional way, have prepared these dishes. The truth is that most could easily be a dish in a Michelin-starred restaurant,” he expressed.
“It is exciting to witness year after year so much young talent. Undoubtedly, this award is a breath of fresh air that gives us confidence, both as an institution and to the sector in general, about the potential that the new generations of chefs in this country have,” stated Rosario Barrios, General Manager of Le Cordon Bleu Madrid.
Dish by Xabier Luis in the finals of the Le Cordon Bleu Madrid Haute Cuisine Promises Award. / LCB
The prize for winner Jacobo Diz includes a 100% scholarship to study a diploma at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, valued at over €26,000. Thanks to the school’s validation program, Jacobo will have access to intermediate levels of their educational offerings. Additionally, his school has been awarded a financial aid of €1,500 for supporting the student’s participation in the competition.
Second-placed Carlos Navarro received a scolarship to pursue a certificate at the school valued at over €9,500, to choose from specialties in Cooking, Pastry, and Spanish Cuisine.
The Haute Cuisine Promises Award is a nationwide competition aimed at students under 25 years old currently in their final year of culinary training in any centre in the country, standing out for their passion and vision of cuisine. Centers and schools from all Autonomous Communities support this award every year and encourage their students to participate. After several pre-selection phases, they reach the grand final facing the pressure of a demanding jury, which in previous editions has been chaired by great chefs in our country such as Nacho Manzano, Jesús Sánchez, Francis Paniego, Pedro Subijana, Diego Guerrero, Martín Berasategui, Joan Roca, or Quique Dacosta, among others.
