/ -- The 6th edition of the International Young Chef Olympiad was flagged off to a glamourous and colourful start on 28th January 2020 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. Organised by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), in partnership with the International Hospitality Council (IHC) London, YCO 2020 has participants and mentors coming from 55 countries of the world.
The gala event was attended by various dignitaries along with the iconic chefs from around the world including Chef Brian Turner, Chef Chris Galvin, Henri Brosi, Chef John Wood, Chef Enzo Oliveri and several other iconic international and Indian judges. YCO 2020 will be held across five Indian cities- Delhi, Pune, Goa and Bangalore and Kolkata.
The Opening Ceremony started with participants marching in with their mentors led by their national flag and taking their seats on the stage. India's cultural heritage is always a feast for the eyes at any international event and to give the event a glamorous start, a short classical Kathak dance performance by Anushka Chhabra, a student of IIHM and a disciple of Uma Sharma, set the stage on fire. As YCO 2020 has embraced an important and significant theme of Sustainability, Anushka performed to the 17 SDG song that was recorded and launched in 2019.
"Organising YCO is a huge logistical challenge that team IIHM and Team YCO overcome every year. But the satisfaction comes when in a divided and fragmented world, YCO stands as a shining example of world unity. This is the United Nations of Young Chefs. We can see almost the entire world in front of us," said Dr Suborno Bose, CEO of International Hospitality Council (IHC) and Founder YCO, in his opening address. "We are all living in a divided and fragmented world but we all forget that when we come to YCO. I think food has proved to be the most important unifier of the entire planet and nothing can be more satisfying that this. As hospitality ambassadors we need to emphasise on the cultured teaching of hospitality because hospitality and culinary skills is what we in India stand for," added Dr Bose.
Prof David Foskett, the chairman of IHC and the Chairman of the Jury in YCO 2020, said in his address, "This is not just a competition, but it's a celebration of youth, brining young people together through the medium of culinary arts, the passion and love for food. The theme is Sustainability because these young people are the future of the planet."
Glimpse of the Evening can be seen at https://www.facebook.com/iihmhotelschool/videos/2454633328132745/
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