EYCA 2023 Winner from Slovenia, Boštjan Volk will be a jury member for the 8th European Young Chef Award, taking place in Sicily (Italy) from 27-30 November 2024.
Boštjan’s culinary journey began in his family restaurant, where he discovered his passion for home-cooked cuisine. After completing his studies at Velenje High School for Service Activities and the Higher School of Catering and Tourism in Maribor, Boštjan has achieved remarkable success in national and international culinary competitions.
Among his accomplishments, he earned a silver medal with the Slovenian National Chefs Team at the Villeroy & Boch World Culinary Championships 2022, alongside numerous awards at events like Biser Mora (Croatia) and Biser Konjica (Bosnia and Herzegovina). In 2023, Boštjan represented Slovenia at the 7th edition of the European Young Chef Award and was invited to compete in the San Pellegrino World Cup.
Today, Boštjan, a talented 26-year-old chef from Plešivec, Slovenia, manages his own family restaurant, where he continues to innovate using high-quality local ingredients and focusing on sustainable gastronomy. The European Young Chef Award provides a platform for young chefs to showcase their creativity and reinterpret traditional recipes with a sustainable approach. Boštjan Volk’s insights and passion will undoubtedly inspire this year’s contestants as he joins the prestigious jury.
Reflecting on the European Young Chef Award, Boštjan shared: “I’m glad there are competitions like the European Young Chef Award. I want all contestants to enjoy cooking and rearranging their dishes. The competition can completely change the lives of the contestants; I hope they are aware of that. Personally, I met a lot of new people and friends at the competition last year. I wish all the young chefs good performances!”.
About IGCAT’s European Young Chef Award
The European Young Chef Award is an annual competition organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) that gathers young culinary talents from the awarded and candidate European Regions of Gastronomy. Selected each year through local contests, finalists to the European Young Chef Award compete by innovating traditional recipes from their regions using local ingredients.
The 8th edition of the European Young Chef Award is organised and promoted by IGCAT and hosted by Sicily, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2025. The competition will be held at the IPSSEOA “Giovanni Falcone”, Giarre Hospitality School on 27-30 November 2024.
About the World/European Regions of Gastronomy
World/European Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to strengthen food security through the celebration of distinctive food cultures; create employment by stimulating creativity and gastronomic innovation; nourish children and adults through culinary and cultural education; driving environmental sustainability in tourism, hospitality and agricultural sectors; supporting balance and sustainable tourism practices; highlighting and supporting expertise from within rural and urban communities, creating connections and sharing good practices; and contributing to community health and well-being.
About IGCAT
IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance of protecting and promoting distinct regional food, culture, arts and natural assets as part of sustainable and balanced tourism and development strategies. This is essential to safeguarding our planet, health, wellness and local economies.
IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.
IGCAT founded the World/European Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the World/European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers Award and the international Food Film Menu.