On Tuesday, Le Cordon Bleu Madrid announced the list of 10 finalists for the XIII Host Kitchen Promises Prize, who will compete in the grand finale on April 8 at the institution’s headquarters. The contenders, representing nine Spanish provinces and nine schools, are required to prepare a dish featuring common ingredients and techniques, which will be judged by a professional panel.
This year’s finalists include: Andrés Rodríguez Saavedra from the Santa Brígida School in Las Palmas and Ian Josué Celi de Palma from the María Auxiliadora (Salesian) Hogar in Tenerife as they vie for the prestigious award.
To qualify, participants had to showcase their culinary skills by creating a 5-minute video recipe, centred around a common dish: Rabbit, stuffed râble and glazed carrots with a secondary garnish and a sauce of their choosing. The competition allowed students to demonstrate their creativity by selecting their own techniques and regional ingredients, which were key factors in reaching the final. Additionally, the candidates’ submissions were posted on the school’s official Facebook page, where the public could contribute their votes, complementing the professional jury’s assessment, made up of chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Madrid.
During the final on April 8, the ten finalists will travel to Madrid to compete at Le Cordon Bleu’s headquarters before a distinguished jury, details of which will be revealed in the coming weeks. In the previous edition, the jury was chaired by Eduard Xatruch, a Michelin 3-star chef from Catalonia and holder of 3 Repsol Suns. Past juries have included notable figures from Spanish gastronomy, such as Nacho Manzano, Jesús Sánchez, Joan Roca, Diego Guerrero, Martín Berasategui, and Andoni Luis Aduriz.
Thirteen Years of Supporting Emerging Chefs
The Promise Prize in haute cuisine is a national competition for students under 25 years currently in their final year of culinary training at any institution across the country, who are recognised for their enthusiasm and innovative approach to cooking. This contest presents an opportunity for continued education at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, with two scholarships awarded to the top two finalists.
This edition, taking place in conjunction with the school’s 130th anniversary, sees an increase in the award values: the winner will receive a scholarship valued at 40,000 euros, enabling them to pursue the internationally acclaimed Grand Diplôme®, while the runner-up will be awarded a scholarship worth over 23,000 euros for a diploma in any specialty offered by the school. Furthermore, the organisation will support the winning schools with a financial grant of 1,500 euros for the institution of the first-place contestant.
Jacobo Diz, a student from CIFP Paseo Das Pontes in A Coruña, was the victor of the previous Promises Award. The young chef impressed the jury with a dish crafted from traditional techniques and ingredients: Pigeon, rice, and a vegetable garnish.
