Introducing our Cook for Change! 2024 finalists

Corporate Responsibility Food Cook for Change!
Oct. 15, 2024

The news is out!

We have our finalists for the grand final of the Cook for Change! Our sustainable chef challenge, taking place this November in Paris.

These eco-chef superstars have wowed judges at the regional heats and been crowned the best sustainable chef in their part of the world.

What will the Cook for Change final involve?

At the final in November the competing chefs will create a main course and dessert which is not only delicious, but which also incorporates sustainably sourced ingredients and clever food waste solutions.

The finalists will also have the opportunity to learn from renowned chefs and each-other in a series of cooking challenges taking place over the course of a week in Paris.

This challenge celebrates the incredible chefs who work for Sodexo all over the world and gives them an opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage. When you work for Sodexo, you don’t just have a job but a career and a place you can grow and develop.

Let’s meet our finalists…

Chef Adam Collinson -

Sodexo UK&I

Secret Ingredient: My love of competitions

“I started in catering at 15 years old, working as a kitchen porter at the Belfry Hotel, and I got the bug from there, really.”

Chef Gaurav Pawar

Sodexo India

Secret Ingredient: A roasted mix of millet and legume flour with spices

“I love the fast-paced environment of the kitchen where precision meets artistry. The constant innovation makes every day exciting. Turning simple ingredients into something special is what I enjoy most.”

Chef Michał Fabiszeski

Sodexo Poland

Secret Ingredient: Telling a story

“Curiosity was my initial inspiration to become a chef: what happens when you mix seemingly incompatible ingredients?”

Chef Ryan Hickey

Sodexo US

Secret Ingredient: Innovation

“I love the creative freedom you get when cooking, when you can play around with different ingredients and the creative or the artistic freedom of plating. And, you know, making something special from scratch.”

Chef Cristopher Paredes

Sodexo Chile

Secret Ingredient: Precision cooking

"What inspired me to become a chef was seeing, as a child, everyday the love my parents put into food. Coming together at the table with something prepared with love and care inspired me to continue doing it and to keep delighting the people I care about."

Chef John Oliveira da Conceição

Sodexo Brazil

Secret ingredient: Creativity

“My family inspired me to become a chef, the Sunday lunches during childhood, and the curiosity of seeing what my mother was putting in the pan.”

Chef Nabila Kerbout

Sodexo UAE

Secret Ingredient: Passion

“I became a chef because of my grandmother. She worked as a chef at a school and at home she made wonderful food. I can never forget the smell of bread, lamb tagine and couscous. Because of her I was inspired to become a chef.”

Chef Sandrine Leriche

Sodexo France

Secret Ingredient: Wild plants

“Cooking is, above all, a passion. As a child, I would spend my time in the kitchen, watching the magic unfold. Later, I had the opportunity to explore various culinary worlds, which reinforced my desire to create an authentic, delicious, and creative cuisine.”

Our 8 finalists will be competing against each other in November. We cannot wait to see what they are going to bring to the table. Who will be crowned best sustainable chef this year?

Why do we celebrate sustainable chefs?

We are holding this competition for the third year because cooking in a sustainable way can make a huge difference, especially when this happens all over the world.

As a company we are working towards 70% of our main dishes being labelled as ‘low-carbon’ by 2030. With so many passionate sustainable chefs all over the world you know those dishes are going to be absolutely delicious!

This is just one of the ways we are working towards Net Zero by 2040!

Find out more about Sodexo sustainable food.

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