How Austria’s Future Cooks

The challenge began long before the finale. For their application, participants had to develop an original dish from a defined basket of ingredients. At least four of the specified products had to be featured as key components. The selection included ox cheeks from Chefs Culinar, rösti potato products from 11er, Chef Greens, pasta from Barilla, and selected spices from STAY SPICED!. It was explicitly not about cramming as much as possible onto a plate. “An ingredient basket initially creates the exact same conditions for everyone. It gets exciting the moment eight completely different ideas emerge from it. We want to see how young chefs think: Which products become the protagonists? What is left out? Where does a personal signature emerge? It is precisely these decisions that turn ingredients into a dish”, explains Alexandra Gorsche, organizer of Taste of Tomorrow powered by CHEFS CULINAR.

The final dishes were evaluated according to clearly defined criteria: taste, creativity, presentation, technical execution, resource efficiency, hygiene, and time management. As such, it wasn't solely about the perfect moment on the plate, but equally about the skills that matter in everyday professional kitchen life. And there is something else that distinguishes the format from a conventional cooking competition: the jury's work does not end after the cooking. All eight finalists received detailed scoring and personal feedback from the pros. “A dish can be technically outstanding and yet leave questions unanswered. An idea can be bold, but still not work in everyday kitchen practice. And sometimes behind a plate that is not yet perfect lies a signature style that needs to be recognized and developed further”, says Martin Klein (Executive Chef, Restaurant Ikarus at Hangar-7). And behind a plate that isn't yet perfect, a unique culinary voice can already become visible, one that can be crucially refined with the right feedback. Simon Wagner (Head Chef, Gourmetrestaurant The Glass Garden, Schloss Mönchstein) adds: “That’s why the feedback session after a competition is at least as relevant as the ranking itself.”

Last year's winner Josef Leitner (Junior Head Chef, Starchenstadl) offered a valuable piece of advice to this year's finalists: “Stay relaxed, work cleanly, and don't let stress get to you. At a culinary competition like this, you meet an incredible number of people and gain experiences you'll never forget. These are impressions and opportunities you should definitely take with you.”

Inviting an unusually large jury is a deliberate part of the concept behind Taste of Tomorrow powered by CHEFS CULINAR. The 2026 jury brought together ten Michelin stars, 28 Gault-Millau toques, numerous other awards, and, above all, very diverse perspectives on contemporary gastronomy.

Among them were: Martin Klein, Harald Irka, Simon Wagner, Lukas Kienbauer, Mike Süsser, Hannes Müller, Didi Maier, Stefan Birnbacher, Vroni Lutz, Dominik Süss, Philipp Stohner, Christoph Forthuber, Daniel Klein, Christian Lankes, Stefan Lastin, Josef Leitner, Sebastian Leutgeb, Hermann Poll, and Stefan Viehauser. The size of the jury serves a long-term purpose. “For us, it’s about far more than a trophy. We want to bring these young, motivated individuals together with personalities who can show them what is possible in this industry. That is why our jury includes so many diverse, top-tier professionals. A conversation can turn into an internship, a contact into the next career milestone, and honest feedback into the very spark that encourages someone to keep going”, says Alexandra Gorsche.

And that, for her, is the true heart of the project: “Our greatest success wouldn’t be someone winning a competition. Our greatest success would be if these young people are still passionately part of this industry in five, ten, or twenty years. Gastronomy loses too many talents. We want them to meet people for whom their work has long been more than just a job – people who live and breathe hospitality. That passion is contagious. If that fosters courage, joy, perspective, and a network, then Taste of Tomorrow powered by CHEFS CULINAR has achieved exactly what we founded it for.” After all, culinary careers are rarely built solely at the stove. They are also shaped by people who share knowledge, open doors, make recommendations, build connections, or recognize early on the potential in a young talent.

Fostering young talent therefore also means providing access.

And at Taste of Tomorrow powered by CHEFS CULINAR, that access is meant to begin not with the first major title, the first Michelin star, or the first leadership role, but well before that.

For the top three finishers, Taste of Tomorrow does not end with the award ceremony either. In addition to their awards, Carina Andress (Le Meridien Vienna), Theresa Postl (Tourismusschule Bad Hofgastein), and Valentin Wagner (Panorama Royal) received custom-designed trophies crafted for the competition by Dreikant as well as extra visibility across upcoming industry events. The next stage awaits as early as November. “Taste of Tomorrow powered by CHEFS CULINAR shows us that this concept works, which is why we’re keeping the momentum going”, says Heimo Jessenko, organizer of Taste of Tomorrow. “The next challenge is already scheduled for November right at Alles für den Gast in Salzburg. And in 2027, we are expanding the format with a dedicated Bar and Sommelier Edition in Tyrol, once again alongside a strong partner. But those are just two of the upcoming steps. Our goal is to develop Taste of Tomorrow into a platform that supports emerging talent long term, connects different areas of hospitality, and continuously creates new opportunities to be seen and meet the right people.”

In doing so, Taste of Tomorrow combines cooking, competition, mentoring, visibility, and networking into a format that deliberately looks beyond a single day of competition. After all, the future of gastronomy may not just be decided by who cooks best today – but also by who gives young people a reason to keep going tomorrow. Vroni Lutz (owner and operator, Stuerzer) also shares her perspective on the role of women in fine dining: “Gastronomy is still traditionally a male-dominated profession – there are far too few women. Yet they often bring more refined senses to the table, think more creatively, and care less about hierarchies. I celebrate every female head chef! With women in the kitchen, the working atmosphere changes noticeably, fostering a much more harmonious team spirit. The fact that women are right at the forefront this year sends a powerful message: they serve as important role models and show young girls that this industry is extremely attractive for them, too.”

• Carina Andress
  Born in 2001, already brings extensive experience from professional gastronomy. Until September 2026, she worked at Le Méridien Vienna; starting mid-October, her path takes her to TIAN Restaurant Wien.

• Hannah Berndl
  Born in 2009, has been attending HLF Krems with a focus on hotel management since 2023. She is among the finalists who are still in the middle of their training and yet already dare to take the step onto an Austria-wide competition stage.

• Hubertus Distl
  Born in 2009, has been attending Tourismusschule MODUL der Wirtschaftskammer Wien since September 2023. His participation in the finale shows just how early the exploration of a personal culinary signature can begin.

• Julia Herndler
  Born in 2008, has been attending Tourismusschulen HLF Krems since 2022 and is currently in her fifth year.

• Theresa Postl
  Born in 2009, has already gained experience with Lukas Nagl, giving her early insights into the workings of high-end gastronomy. Since 2023, she has been attending Tourismusschule Bad Hofgastein.

• Christoph Unterberger
  Born in 2006, has been completing his culinary apprenticeship at HOCHKÖNIGIN – Mountain Resort since November 2025, bringing the perspective of traditional hands-on training to the finale of Taste of Tomorrow powered by CHEFS CULINAR.

• Tobias Wagner
  Born in 2002, has been working as Demi Chef de Cuisine at Hotel Sacher Salzburg since 2026. He is one of the finalists who already take on responsibility directly in everyday professional kitchen operations.

• Valentin Wagner
  Born in 2004, has been working as Commis de Cuisine at Panorama Royal in Bad Häring since May 2026.

Together, the jury unites ten Michelin stars, 28 Gault-Millau toques, and numerous other accolades and industry experience:

• Martin Klein

• Harald Irka

• Simon Wagner

• Lukas Kienbauer

• Mike Süsser

• Hannes Müller

• Didi Maier

• Stefan Birnbacher

• Vroni Lutz

• Dominik Süss

• Philipp Stohner

• Christoph Forthuber

• Daniel Klein

• Christian Lankes

• Stefan Lastin

• Josef Leitner

• Sebastian Leutgeb

• Hermann Poll

• Stefan Viehauser

Taste of Tomorrow is an emerging talent format for young professionals in gastronomy and hospitality, initiated by Alexandra Gorsche and Heimo Jessenko, JeGo Beteiligungs GmbH. Eligible to participate are young individuals who are still in training or who graduated no more than five years ago. The format combines competition, professional feedback, visibility, mentoring, and networking. The primary focus is not solely on rankings, but on the long-term support and development of a new generation of culinary and hospitality talent.