50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano

Creating opportunities for aspiring chefs

The Scholarship was established in 2019 as part of 50 Best's mission to support and develop fledgeling culinary talent, providing a unique opportunity for an aspiring chef to work alongside some of the finest chefs and gain experience in award-winning kitchens with two stages. 

In 2025, the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano, returned, with the winning candidate, Angélica Ortiz, set to work at two world-leading restaurants.

At El Celler de Can Roca, two-time No.1 of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, Ortiz will gain wisdom from the three Roca brothers and discover the magic behind the landmark Girona eatery.

At SingleThread in Healdsburg, California (No.80 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025), they will split their time between the kitchen and the restaurant's farm to provide an all-encompassing education in sustainability and hyper-seasonal gastronomy.

The recipient will spend one month at each restaurant in early 2026, with all flights, accommodation and travel costs covered, plus £1,500 per stage.

The 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano, will be back in 2026. It is open to any chefs over the age of 18 with less than three full years' experience in a professional kitchen or similar environment.

The selection process:

Round one: Opened on Monday 17 March 2025 for two weeks, chefs were invited to submit their entry, answering questions about their background, culinary philosophy and vision for the future of hospitality. They were also invited to submit an optional 30-second video to introduce themselves to the judging panel of senior 50 Best representatives.

Round two: A shortlist of 25 successful candidates developed, plated and filmed a dish they created featuring Parmigiano Reggiano, and answered questions on the inspiration behind it. The submissions were reviewed by the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium and 50 Best.

Round three: Five candidates were invited to a final interview stage to answer a selection of further questions about their culinary journey. After discussions with each candidate, the panel decided on three finalists who were invited to attend The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 events programme in Turin from 17-20 June. The ultimate winner was revealed on stage at the official awards ceremony in front of the world’s leading gastronomic talent and international food media.

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