Team Thailand claimed second place at the prestigious "World Young Chef Young Waiter Young Mixologist (YYY) Competition 2024", recently held in Singapore.
The competition brought together top young talent under the age of 28 from nine countries worldwide, including three from Asia, to showcase their skills in culinary arts, service and mixology.
The three-day competition, hosted at The Exchange by Tadcaster Hospitality, concluded with Team USA taking first place, followed by Team Thailand in second and Team Wales in third. Finalists had previously competed in regional events before representing their countries in the global finals. Their challenges included individual category tasks and a team-based "Signature Lunch" event for VIP guests.
Chefs had 3.5 hours to create their canapés and three-course menus, while waiters demonstrated precision and finesse in a wine masterclass, a pairing challenge, creative table set-ups and interviews. Mixologists faced a series of challenges, including a signature social media "NEFT Vodka" challenge in collaboration with their waiter partner.
The winners were selected by a panel of international culinary experts, food critics and industry leaders and the champions were announced by YYY president Robert Walton MBE and Nikesh Mehta, the British High Commissioner to Singapore.
Team Thailand's silver victory marks a significant achievement in their first-ever participation in YYY. The winning team consisted of Young Chef Suriyan Pleejan (Eat Me Restaurant); Young Waiter Natcha Chuwong (Blue by Alain Ducasse); and Young Mixologist Supakorn Tapaneeyachok (View Bangkok Rooftop Bar, Novotel Bangkok Platinum).
Their menu celebrated Thailand's vibrant flavours with a three-course meal -- pla neung manao (steamed grouper with finger lime and chilli sauce), gaeng phed ped yang (roasted duck in orange red curry with pineapple) and sago lamyai (longan and sago pearl in pandan coconut milk).
Founded in 1979 and staged in partnership with Great Campaign UK and Northern Ireland and the Culinary Institute of America, the "World Young Chef Young Waiter Young Mixologist (YYY)" competition aims to discover the best young talent in the hospitality industry.
Open to chefs, waiters and mixologists under 28 from diverse backgrounds, YYY equips these emerging professionals with the skills, knowledge and networking needed to succeed in the global hospitality world.
