Calling All Young Chefs! The Fifth Edition of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition is Now Accepting Applications
The COVID-19 pandemic closures and restrictions inflicted a devastating impact on Canada’s culinary community and challenged the livelihoods of chefs nationwide. Unsurprisingly, the pandemic hit young chefs the hardest as many were laid off or left with job insecurity & limited opportunities due to pandemic challenges.

As a proud supporter of the chef and restaurant community, S.Pellegrino remains committed to supporting the future of the culinary industry and is now calling on all emerging young chefs across Canada to enter the 2022/23 S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Regional Competition. The competition, now in its fifth year, offers young chefs an inspiring and educational experience that provides national visibility and professional prestige.
“The competition and the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy support the culinary community and chefs of tomorrow by offering mentorship, guidance and supporting creativity and inclusivity in the world of gastronomy,” says Paul De Larzac, President of Nestle Waters Canada.
Over the course of the Regional Competition, the finalists will take part in live cook-offs in front of a panel of esteemed Canadian jurors who will provide feedback based on unrivaled technical skill, genuine creativity, and strong personal belief along with the candidate’s ability to create positive change in society through food.
The winner from the Regional Competition will go on to compete in the Global Grand Finale in 2023, the biggest international young chef competition to date, and officially be in the running for the coveted title of the ‘S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award 2022-23’. The international competition allows the next generation of chefs to make their mark in the world of gastronomy and give them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cook for some of the world’s most renowned chefs and have access to a global culinary community.
Both the Regional and Global components provide emerging chefs with a unique opportunity to learn, interact and be mentored by esteemed chefs. Last year, North America was represented by Canadian chef Rafael Covarrubias, from Hexagon in Oakville, during the Grand Finale. Chef Rafael placed a strong 5th across a competitive set of top young chefs and had the chance to be mentored by one of Calgary’s best-known Chefs, Connie Desousa as well as the opportunity to attend global workshops and network with Michelin chefs Massimo Bottura & Enrico Bartolini.
The competition remains to be a highlight in the gastronomy world and is an initiative of S.Pellegrino’s Young Chef Academy, an inspiring international community which aims to identify, connect and nurture the next generation of chefs, no matter where they are from, their gender or their ethnicity.
Young chefs between 18-30 years of age with at least one year of restaurant experience can apply for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Regional Competition 2022/23 online at www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com from now until May 31, 2022. Chefs that apply will need to provide personal and professional information and submit the recipe for their signature dish which should communicate their personal vision, unique skills, and creativity.
To learn more or to submit your application please visit: www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com
All San Pellegrino trademarks are owned by Sanpellegrino S.p.A., San Pellegrino Terme (BG), Italy and used under licence. ©2022 Sanpellegrino
A Mocktail for the 28 Days Sober Challenge

For the 9th consecutive year, the Fondation Jean Lapointe is proud to announce the return of the 28 Days Sober Challenge TM (in February 2022) with the support of Hickson and JP Chenet alcohol-free products. Through this major fundraiser, the Fondation Jean Lapointe invites all of Quebec to join its movement and participate in order to raise $1.5M to continue its mission in support of addiction prevention. The amount collected will provide funding for prevention programs related to drug and alcohol use, as well as cyber addiction among thousands of youths in schools.
Gourmet Discoveries and Gift Ideas
Whether it’s to spoil yourself or your loved ones, here are some suggestions: HERA whisky liqueur, mix of cheese and legumes from The Laughing Cow, the spice crayon to enhance meals, Jean-François Plante’s new book and two new snacks from SimplyProtein to try.
HERA: a delicate Quebec whisky liqueur
Seven Novelties in the Spotlight
Here are the topics covered: Geneviève O’Gleman’s new book, TABASCO® Sriracha sauce, The Rice Straw from EcoSmart Supply Co., Ah-So canned wines, natural wood smoked nuts from La Fumisterie, nutritious Sesame Snaps Seeds & Grains bars, and an upcoming event, the National Virtual Cookie Recipe Exchange to benefit Food Banks of Quebec in collaboration with Amarula.
SYSCO: At the Heart of Food and Service
A WIDE VARIETY OF PRODUCTS

*Advertising report – Spring-Summer 2021
Le Moussonneur: Cold Drip Coffee, Processor of Green Coffee in Seawater & Coffee Roaster

Le Moussonneur also has its own Roastery in Rimouski in the industrial district (where it receives coffees from different countries, roasts them, packages them and bags them). Each coffee and each blend have been tested by more than one roasting in order to choose only one that is unique to each, the one that brings out its best aromas. There is also the Coffee shop located in downtown Rimouski (where Nathalie Gagnon and Richard O’Neill, the 2 partners, share their passion with you through their specialty coffees).

The Monsooned Collection (its specialty)
This coffee is inspired by a process discovered in the 17th century. In those years, coffee was exported by sailboat and the trip could last 6 months. The coffee on these boats was inevitably altered by the humidity of the seawater, but highly prized by Master Roasters. This tradition was lost with the arrival of motorboats and the opening of the Suez Canal. Richard O’Neill, when he arrived at the Magdalen Islands, was inspired by this lost tradition. This is how he began manufacturing his coffees by exposing them to seawater moisture and salty winds before drying them in the sun, allowing the sodium to crystallize inside the coffee bean. He has since refined his process in an effort to improve its stability and offer the best product possible, taking more control over each step. This has resulted in greater consistency to provide you with a continuously improved taste.
This coffee has a distinctive flavour from all other coffees due to the sodium it retains when drying out. It is slightly less caffeinated and less acidic, and it enhances the aromas found in other coffees with which it is blended.
Discover the other coffee collections available:

The Essentials Collection
Artisan roaster Richard O’Neill coaxes truly exceptional flavours from its single-origin coffees thanks to his unique ability to select and roast the best product available. He also visits the coffee plantations in person to better understand the daily lives and particularities of the producers and their specific processes.

The Decafs Collection
The Swiss Water™ process does not use any chemicals to extract caffeine from the beans. In this way, the coffee is 99.9% caffeine-free while preserving its original attributes.

The Private Collection (microlots)
Coffees that have obtained a grade above 87 on a scale of 100 defined by the SCA (Speciality Coffee Association). This note is awarded according to different criteria: aromas, body, acidity, etc. For example: JAMAICA BLUE MOUNTAIN 100% (Clifton Mount Estate).
Newmood: Sensory Marketing Made Simple
