Finalists for Green Chef’s Hat Announced!

Finalists Green Chef’s Hat 2025 with the jury - Photo credits Charlotte Mauritz / Annoncé Management

On January 15, the third edition of the Green Chef’s Hat preliminary round took place at HORECAVA. This competition is entirely dedicated to plant-based cooking. The participants who will compete for the title at Gastvrij Rotterdam are Restaurant Nazka, Restaurant Le Poirier, and Camionette from Belgium. The competition organizers will also award two wildcards in the coming weeks in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The focus of this competition is 100% plant-based cooking, a trend that can no longer be ignored in the world of gastronomy.

Each participant was allowed to bring a pre-prepared amuse-bouche and had to prepare an appetizer and an intermediate course using products from the HANOS Netherlands black box and the Dry Aged Beet from Beetz.

Under the watchful eyes of the jury, consisting of Frank Fol (Chairman We’re Smart World), Luc Kusters (Bolenius * / 5 Radishes), and Frédéric Jaunault (Meilleur Ouvrier de France), the participants showcased their skills.

It promises to be a fierce competition in Rotterdam! "The finalists will have to prove themselves, and it’s set to be a serious battle. Remarkably, we continue to see strong growth in plant-based cuisine. The vegetable-based kitchen in the Netherlands is becoming increasingly sophisticated," said Frank Fol, jury chairman of We’re Smart.

Luc Kusters was also highly impressed with the level of the participants: “Vegetables truly take center stage. We saw many new vegetable preparations that are exclusively suited for plant-based cooking. The plant-based kitchen is evolving into its own new level.”

Frédéric Jaunault from France noted that the plant-based kitchen in the Netherlands is far more advanced than in France: "In France, the evolution in vegetable-focused cuisine is just beginning, but in the Netherlands, chefs are already much further ahead!"

Restaurant Nazka won the prize for “Best Appetizer”, while Restaurant Camionette from Belgium took home the award for “Best Intermediate Course”.

In addition to a trophy, the winners received a €250 check from Stichting Kookwedstrijden i.o., a chef’s knife from Dick, a medal, and a bottle of Est to celebrate their victory. The winners will also have the opportunity to attend a masterclass from a top pastry chef at Dobla.

Participants:

• Jofel Prinsenland
• Nazka
• Huis ter Duin
• Camion Camionette
• Boutique Hotel Ter Zand 

Finals

The final will take place at Gastvrij Rotterdam on Tuesday, September 23. Stay updated on who will receive the wildcards by following the Instagram account @Stichting_kook_wedstrijden.