Albania is the New World Champion at the IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad 2026

Pune, 9th February 2026: Kolkata, the global headquarters of the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), stood at the centre of the global culinary world as the 12th IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad (YCO) 2026 reached its spectacular conclusion.

On the biggest stage in the world for student chefs, an Albanian chef from the country of origin of one of Kolkata’s most loved and adored figures, Mother Teresa, became the world champion. Enri Cuedari, the young chef from Instituti Kulinari Neranxi, lifted the Golden Trophy and was crowned with the Golden Toque in a competition that witnessed the largest congregation of young chefs in the world.
England emerged second, with Dominic Thomas Grundy of Westminster Capital City College receiving the silver trophy.

The second runner-up was the island nation of Sri Lanka, lifting the bronze trophy, proudly represented by Vidanagamage Rumira Reshan Piyasiri of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management. His journey to the podium included a strong performance in the First Round of the Olympiad held in Pune, one of the Indian host cities for the initial stages of the competition.

The Plate Trophy was won by Maelyss Helene Parrot of France, one of the world’s finest culinary nations.

All of them rose to glory under the clear night sky of Kolkata, in moments charged with emotion, discipline, and dreams realised. They stood not merely as winners, but as representatives of a new generation of global culinary leadership.
Each of them was a worthy winner in what has come to be recognised as the world’s most collaborative and culturally rich culinary competition.

The final competitive rounds were held at IIHM’s Global Campus in the city, followed by a grand celebration and awards night at Wet-O-Wild, Nicco Park complex, announced as the venue for the Grand Finale celebrations. Music, dancing and celebration marked the culmination of the world’s largest competition for student chefs.

The Top 10 finalists represented a remarkable cross-section of global culinary talent and storytelling. Jomar T. Bernardo (Philippines), Vidanagamage Rumira Reshan Piyasiri (Sri Lanka), Aavie Ng Shi Chuan (Malaysia), Kotamsetti Satya Teja (India), Rohan Chettri (Nepal), Dominic Thomas Grundy (England), Georgios Aionnis (Sweden), Emma Gisele Biro (Canada), Enri Cuedari (Albania), and Ananya Madaan (Switzerland) earned their places through skill, integrity, and an unmistakable respect for both tradition and innovation. Their presence in the final round reaffirmed the truly global soul of the Olympiad.

As the curtains came down on YCO 2026, the competition emerged as far more than a contest. It unfolded as a global knowledge and learning ecosystem, where technology, ethics, sustainability, and human creativity converged with purpose. The theme—“Preserving the World’s Global Culinary Heritage through AI”—came alive across kitchens, conversations, and cultures.

Reflecting on the vision of the Olympiad, Dr. Suborno Bose, Founder-Chairman of IIHM and Chief Mentor of YCO, said, “You have travelled from across continents, cultures, climates, and cuisines—but you stand together on one stage, united by a single language: food.”

About Young Chef Olympiad (YCO)
Launched in the year 2015, Young Chef Olympiad (YCO) aims to give young student chefs from around the world a platform to showcase their skills and compete at the global level. Through the last eleven editions of the Olympiad, the world has seen culinary stars been born and dreams been celebrated on the global culinary stage.