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 restaurants across the world.

Returning in 2025 in association with Parmigiano Reggiano, this year's scholarship programme will see the winning candidate take on the opportunity to work at two world-leading restaurants. At El Celler de Can Roca, two-time No.1 of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, the winner will gain wisdom from the three Roca brothers and discover the magic behind the landmark Girona eatery. At SingleThread in Healdsburg, California, US (No.46 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024), 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 scholarship is open to any chefs over the age of 18 with less than three full years' experience in a professional kitchen or similar environment.

Think you have what it takes? Applications for the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano, are now open until Monday 31 March at 17:00 BST (UTC+1).

Apply now

The selection process:

Round one: Opening on Monday 17 March for two weeks, chefs from across the world will be invited to submit their entry. Within, they will be required to answer a selection of questions about their background, culinary philosophy and vision for the future of hospitality. They will also be 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 will be required to develop, plate and film a dish they have created featuring Parmigiano Reggiano, and answer questions on the inspiration behind it. These submissions will be reviewed by both the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium and 50 Best.

Round three: Five candidates will be invited to a final interview stage to answer a selection of further questions about their culinary journey. After discussions with each candidate, the panel will decide on three finalists who will be invited to attend The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 events programme in Turin from 17-20 June. The ultimate winner will then be revealed on stage at the official awards ceremony on Thursday 19 June in front of the world’s leading gastronomic talent and international food media.

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