Internationally renowned culinary school Le Cordon Bleu Madrid has revealed the list of the top 50 nominees for the Promesas de la Haute Cuisine Award, now in its 12th edition. The annual call recognizes outstanding academic results and aims to develop the skills of future chefs who train daily in schools across Spain, pursuing careers in the kitchen and seeking recognition as world class professionals.
The Valencian Community stands out in this year’s event, as seven of the 50 finalists are training in Valencia centers and are currently in their training cycles. This makes it the second-autonomy with the most candidates. Specifically, three come from the province of Valencia, another three from Castellón, and one from Alicante. The finalists include Blai Savall García from IES Cap del Aljub in Santa Pola; Noe Martí Castaño, Adrián Martínez Cebrián, and Pau Prats Guimerà from Cipfp Costa de Azahar in Castellón; and Paula Mora Contreras, Sarah Olivares Furió, and Josefina Toledo Tudela from Altaviana Vocational Training School in Valencia. All are under 25 years old.
In total, 28 training centers from 21 provinces across Spain are represented, with students hailing from other autonomous regions such as Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, the Canary Islands, La Rioja, Melilla, Murcia, Navarra, and the Basque Country. Andalusia with 14 candidates and the Valencian Community with seven candidates were the most represented regions in this edition.
The 50 individuals on the published list have passed the first stage, but they still face additional tests to reach the 10 finalists. Applicants must submit by January 17 a five minute video recipe featuring basic ingredients that everyone should respect. Beyond the standard guidelines, participants may incorporate other ingredients, particularly from their own autonomous community, and the techniques and knowledge used will also be evaluated.
Voting in January
From January 19, the videos will be published on YouTube where evaluation will take place, and the 10 students who will compete in the grand final will be selected based on professional jury opinions. The finalists will be announced on February 21 and will compete in person at the school headquarters in Madrid in April, where their dishes will be judged. In prior editions the jury included prominent figures from the national gastronomy scene such as Jesús Sánchez, Joan Roca, Diego Guerrero, Martín Berasategui, and Andoni Luis Aduriz.
Last year the Valencian Community had two finalists V: Jorge Silvestre from Cipfp Costa de Azahar and Olga Vázquez from Altaviana FP Center, two of the three Valencian centers that also participated in the 2024 edition. They received scholarships exceeding 26,000 and 9,500 euros respectively to continue their studies. A prize of 1,500 euros was also awarded to the training center of the first winner. Selection of candidates follows a process that includes academic achievements and recommendations, among other criteria.
In addition to supporting the training of young chefs, the program encourages ongoing education for culinary professionals throughout their careers, promotes students commitment to their studies, and helps build networks among culinary students across Spain. These efforts reflect Le Cordon Bleu’s broader mission to elevate culinary education and nurture the next generation of kitchen leaders.
— This summary reflects program details as published by Le Cordon Bleu Madrid and corroborated by participating training centers and regional educational authorities. References: Le Cordon Bleu Madrid announcements and regional program coordinators. —