After winning a gold medal and the Canada’s Chef Paul Mastalir Award for Kitchen Excellence at the Canadian National Competition in 2019–and then having to wait out a pandemic-induced pause to last year’s La Chaine des Rotisseurs International Young Chefs Competition–Vancouver chef Gus Koenigsfest is finally about to represent Canada on an international level.
Taking place at the legendary le Cordon Bleu school kitchens in Paris, this year’s annual International Young Chefs Competition will pit approximately 20 young chefs from around the world against one another in a black box challenge. 12 internationally-certified chefs will judge their creations based on taste, presentation, originality, and kitchen technique and then crown a winner.
Koenigsfest, who currently works at Vancouver’s acclaimed Published on Main, originally trained under the mentorship of chef Scott Jaeger at Burnaby’s The Pear Tree Restaurant. He will continue to hone his skills under the award-winning chef until he heads to Paris in September.
“It really is an honour to represent your country, and definitely something I never thought I’d have the chance to do," says Koenigsfest. "I’m so grateful to chef Jaeger for all the work he puts in coaching and teaching me every day, as well as the whole Pear Tree staff for all the support. I’m looking forward to the adventures of the next year all around Canada, and hopefully I can bring it home for us again.”
The 44th annual La Chaine des Rotisseurs International Young Chefs Competition will take place from September 22 to 27 in Paris.
