Bon Appétit: IIHM to host Young Chef Olympiad 2026 in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata from Feb 1 to 6

Hyderabad: The 12th edition of Young Chef Olympiad (YSO) 2026 is all set to kick off in India on February 1.

Student chefs from 50 countries will showcase their culinary talent in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata from February 1 to 6

Young Chef Olympiad

Started in India and celebrated across the globe, the Young Chef Olympiad has evolved from a culinary competition into a powerful platform of culinary diplomacy, education, and cultural exchange, positioning food as a unifying force between nations, cultures, and future hospitality leaders.

Each participating student chef represents not only a culinary institution but also the cultural identity, traditions, and food philosophy of their country, entering a shared learning environment where collaboration is valued as highly as competition.

IIHM will be hosting

International institute of hotel management based in Delhi, Hyderabad, Goa, Bengaluru, Kolkata. Offers several degree and diploma programs

The theme for YCO 2026, “Preserving the World’s Global Culinary Heritage through AI,” highlights the Olympiad’s transformation into a global knowledge and learning ecosystem where technology, ethics, and human creativity converge.

Announcing the YCO and its theme, Dr Suborno Bose, Chairman and Chief Mentor of IIHM and Indismart Group Worldwide, said, “The Young Chef Olympiad is not just a competition. It is a global stage for talent, diplomacy, and learning. In the YCO journey, preparation turns into participation, and young chefs begin their role as global ambassadors for cuisine, culture, and collaboration. Each participant here is a proud ambassador of unity and friendship - a Young Chef Olympian - bonded for life.”

Artificial Intelligence

A defining pillar of YCO 2026 is IIHM’s commitment to the responsible, practical integration of Artificial Intelligence into hospitality education. Central to this is NamAIste Hospitality GPT, IIHM’s proprietary, hospitality-specific Large Language Model developed in-house and built in India for global application.

Through the IIHM YCO GPT ecosystem, AI will actively support contestants even after the Olympiad—offering virtual coaching, sustainability-focused recipe development, real-time frameworks for cooking sessions, and AI-powered mentoring modules. These tools are designed to enhance learning and reflection, rather than replace human skill or creativity.

Historical Alliances

Historical culinary alliances and similarities between different cities of countries participating in the Young Chef Olympiad have been curated. This explores possibilities of creative culinary collaborations. All of this follows the DNA of the Young Chef Olympiad: “Uniting the World Through Food”.

Separate GPTs

Moreover, separate GPTs of Culinary Heritage for each participating country have been created by IIHM. This will be a permanent resource base for culinary history stakeholders in their country, as well as global culinary research stakeholders and they are using Namaste GPT.

“The Young Chef Olympiad is therefore not just a global culinary event, but the world’s first AI-powered, country-by-country culinary knowledge platform built around a live international competition,” emphasized Dr Bose.

Opening ceremony in Bengaluru

The Opening Ceremony of YCO 2026 will be held in Bengaluru on February 1, 2026, officially commencing the Olympiad with participation from all competing nations. Hyderabad to play a key role in YCO 2026.

As part of the Young Chef Olympiad 2026 journey across India, Hyderabad will host two landmark YCO engagements: a global cultural celebration and a competitive round, both of which will place the city in the international culinary spotlight.

The Glass Onion, Gachibowli

On February 2, 2026, Hyderabad will host the United World of Young Chefs (UWYC) International Food Festival, one of YCO’s most distinctive cultural showcases, celebrating culinary diplomacy and global friendship through food. The festival will be hosted at The Glass Onion, Gachibowli, with Chef Shankar Krishnamurthy lending his support and partnership in curating this landmark global culinary gathering.

World Cuisines

The UWYC International Food Festival, a non-competitive event, will feature 10 participating YCO countries, each presenting their traditional and signature dishes, prepared live by international mentors and young chef contestants. Guests will experience an authentic taste of world cuisines under one roof.

Participating Countries

The participating countries are France, Scotland, Belarus, Greece, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, Ireland, and Switzerland. Each country will operate an exclusive food counter, celebrating its culinary heritage, culture, and traditional techniques from across continents.

Felicitation of Hyderabad Chefs

A key highlight of the UWYC evening will be the felicitation of 15 distinguished chefs from Hyderabad, who will be conferred the prestigious title of “ICON Chefs of Hyderabad.”

This honour recognizes their outstanding contribution to the city’s vibrant culinary ecosystem and their role in establishing Hyderabad as one of India’s leading food destinations.

Telugu Cuisine

Along with the international flavours, the festival will also showcase exclusive Telangana and Andhra Pradesh cuisine counters, presented by renowned specialty restaurants, celebrating regional authenticity and culinary pride. Regional Cuisine Presenters include Chittoor Naidu, PalleVindu, Pondy Parott, and other specialty cuisine partners.

A dedicated dessert counter by Cream Stone will be a delicious end to this much-look-forward-to evening.

Kolkata

The grand finale of this global iconic culinary Olympiad will be held in Kolkata on February 6.