111 young talents in their second or third year of apprenticeship had registered for the "gusto25" Swiss championship for apprentice chefs by the beginning of November. This means that the twentieth edition of "gusto" has almost a quarter more registrations than last year. The proportion of second-year apprentices has risen particularly sharply. They make up almost eighty percent of participants.
To take part in the competition organized by delivery and collection wholesaler Transgourmet/Prodega under the patronage of the Swiss Chefs' Association, a main course had to be prepared under the motto "Special Cuts". Special cuts of beef were required, prepared using two different cooking methods. In addition, a starch side dish with products of Swiss origin and two seasonal Swiss organic vegetables were required. The competition committee of the Swiss Chefs' Association has now anonymously assessed the entries - consisting of brief descriptions and photos - and selected the best six.
The "gusto25" finalists
| First name | Name | Operation | Location | Apprenticeship year |
| Ben | Cesa | Culinarium Alpinum | Stans | 3 |
| Noah | Serious | Laupen retirement center | Laupen | 2 |
| Céline | Grossmann | Foundation for the elderly | Münsingen | 3 |
| Nicolas | Imholz | Spannort | Erstfeld | 3 |
| Tiziano | Palazzo | The Omnia | Zermatt | 2 |
| Lorenz | Shait | The Dolder Grand | Zurich | 2 |
Spontaneity is required
The starter has not yet been created in advance. Instead, the finalists only find out the ingredients for the "Mistery Soup" 30 minutes before the final cooking competition. The only thing they can tinker with earlier with their trainers and vocational school teachers is a soup garnish, also according to the specified shopping basket. This adjustment is intended to put more emphasis on spontaneity.
The young talents, on the other hand, can now train their submitted main course for more than three months in their training companies. In mid-January, there will also be two familiarization and training days at the vocational college in Baden. The participants will then meet for the first time and receive tips from Marco Steiner. He is the team manager of the Swiss national culinary teams. The finalists will also be introduced to the partners of "gusto25". These include Presenting Partner Schweizer Fleisch, Leading Partners Bell, Emmi, Hügli, Kadi and Valser, as well as numerous other well-known companies and associations.
Cooking competition and anniversary show in March 2025
Finally, on March 13, the final cooking competition at the vocational college in Baden will get down to business. The six young talents will then have a total of three hours to prepare their starter and main course live. They will first be judged by a panel of chefs. A second jury then tastes the dishes and also awards points. The award ceremony will take place one day later on March 14 as part of "gusto - the show" at the Kongresshaus Zurich.
The industry event with around 400 invited guests will also mark the twentieth anniversary of the successful promotion of young talent in 2025. The first "gusto" winner was also crowned at the Kongresshaus Zurich in 2005. Since then, the Swiss championship for trainee chefs has been the springboard to great careers for many talented people. This is also thanks to the numerous contacts that result from taking part. For example, "gusto" traditionally offers educational stays with renowned professional chefs from all over the world.
The first prize in the "gusto25" competition is a 14-day trip to Singapore with a look behind the scenes at Julien Royer's restaurant Odette. The runner-up will travel to Salzburg for a week and get a look behind the scenes at Martin Ebert's Restaurant Ikarus. Third place includes a week in central Switzerland with exciting days with Mike Wehrle at the Bürgenstock Resort.
