2022-09-15
USA wins the ISS International Culinary Competition 2022 centred on sustainability
With the highest scores from nine judges, including the Danish Michelin-Starred Chef Claus Henriksen and Melina Shannon Di-Pietro, Executive Director of the non-profit MAD Foundation, Xiomara Battle and Derek Spires from ISS USA took home the gold medal at the grand finale held at ISS’s headquarters in Copenhagen. In line with ISS’s global net zero ambition and sustainability efforts, this year’s theme centred on sustainable cooking and zero waste.
“Create the most sustainable and tasty two-course restaurant menu with the least food waste and best product utilisation in 60 minutes”. This was the key challenge for the participants of the International Culinary Competition 2022 for ISS food service professionals.
Over the past nine months, ISS chef teams across the world have been competing in local country competitions, with teams from the USA, United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Turkey and Belgium qualifying for the grand finale in Copenhagen yesterday – witnessed by more than 100 customers, suppliers and ISS employees.
Global sustainability agenda
This year’s competition was built around ISS’s global ambition of reaching full-scope net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and halving its food waste by 2027. Hamish Cook, Head of Group Food Services, says:
“At ISS, we serve over one million meals a day in hospitals, schools, and organisations around the world, so our food sustainability efforts contribute greatly to both ISS’s own and our customers’ sustainability ambitions and targets.
I’m truly excited to have seen the depth of creative culinary talent across our business in this competition. Talented chefs, who deliver superior workplace experiences around food to our global customers while continuously striving to optimise our sustainability efforts.”
Culinary flagship event
Since its inception in 2017 the International Culinary Competition has become ISS’s culinary flagship event. It provides chefs with a global stage to showcase their talent and skills within food service. 26 chefs from 13 countries participated in this year’s competition.
The winners:
1st place: Xiomara Battle and Derek Spires from ISS USA.
2nd place: Jamie Donald and Graham Purcell from ISS UK & I.
3rd place: Rasmus Bundgaard Nielsen and Thomas Pedersen from ISS Denmark. Rasmus and Thomas also picked up the Waste Warrior Award – special recognition for the team with the least food waste by weight at the end of the competition.
The winning menu:
Main course :
Poached langoustine tail served with golden beet noodles and a walnut parsnip spuma.
Support course:
Crispy langoustine croquette served with beet and chili escabeche and wakame emulsion.
Over the past nine months, ISS chef teams across the world have been competing in local country competitions, with teams from the USA, United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Turkey and Belgium qualifying for the grand finale in Copenhagen yesterday – witnessed by more than 100 customers, suppliers and ISS employees.
Global sustainability agenda
This year’s competition was built around ISS’s global ambition of reaching full-scope net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and halving its food waste by 2027. Hamish Cook, Head of Group Food Services, says:
“At ISS, we serve over one million meals a day in hospitals, schools, and organisations around the world, so our food sustainability efforts contribute greatly to both ISS’s own and our customers’ sustainability ambitions and targets.
I’m truly excited to have seen the depth of creative culinary talent across our business in this competition. Talented chefs, who deliver superior workplace experiences around food to our global customers while continuously striving to optimise our sustainability efforts.”
Culinary flagship event
Since its inception in 2017 the International Culinary Competition has become ISS’s culinary flagship event. It provides chefs with a global stage to showcase their talent and skills within food service. 26 chefs from 13 countries participated in this year’s competition.
The winners:
1st place: Xiomara Battle and Derek Spires from ISS USA.
2nd place: Jamie Donald and Graham Purcell from ISS UK & I.
3rd place: Rasmus Bundgaard Nielsen and Thomas Pedersen from ISS Denmark. Rasmus and Thomas also picked up the Waste Warrior Award – special recognition for the team with the least food waste by weight at the end of the competition.
The winning menu:
Main course :
Poached langoustine tail served with golden beet noodles and a walnut parsnip spuma.
Support course:
Crispy langoustine croquette served with beet and chili escabeche and wakame emulsion.