Nacho Manzano named jury president of the 11th Promising Chefs in Haute Cuisine competition

The grand finale of the 11th Promising Chefs in Haute Cuisine Competition is fast approaching. For this occasion, the jury will be presided over by one of the best chefs in Spain today, Chef Nacho Manzano, owner of the two-Michelin star and 3-Repsol sun restaurant Casa Marcial located in Gijón (Asturias). Chef Manzano is a member of the advisory board for the undergraduate gastronomy programme at Francisco Vitoria University and was the keynote speaker at our last graduation ceremony.

He will be joined on the jury by Abel Valverde, one of the top and most award-winning maître d’s in Spain, and by Chef Carito Lourenço, owner of the one-Michelin star and 1-Repsol sun restaurant Fierro located in Valencia. The chef instructors from Le Cordon Bleu Madrid will join this year’s jury and will evaluate the finalists’ dishes.

The first prize winner will win a scholarship valued at more than € 23,000 to continue their chef’s training at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, and their current home school will receive an award of € 1,500 for their dedication to and support for the winner. The second prize winner will receive a scholarship valued at € 8,500.

On this upcoming April 18th at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, the finalists, who were selected after several rounds of candidate selection across Spain, will have to showcase their culinary knowledge, skills, and creativity through a challenging 4-hour competition. For the contest, finalists will have to present a dish creation using a common set of ingredients and techniques to which each finalist may add their unique preparations to set themselves apart from the other participants and to prove their culinary prowess to the jury.