Malta recently hosted the 2024 S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition, a global platform aimed at discovering and nurturing the world’s top young chefs. The competition took place at the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS), bringing together 15 talented chefs from around the world.

A distinguished panel of judges, including Victor Borg (Malta), Thanos Freskos (Greece), Alexandru Iacub (Romania), Igor Jagodic (Slovenia), and Iwona Niemczewska, evaluated the dishes. The event culminated on November 26th with a Gala Dinner at The Phoenicia Ballroom, where the young chefs, their mentors, and invited guests from Charles Grech Company Limited and other regional distributors gathered to celebrate the occasion.

The evening featured a special dinner prepared by Michelin Star Chef Grigoris Kikis and Maltese MasterChef Judge Letizia Vella. The winners of each category were announced, with Alin Vadean from Romania, Nikola Šorak from Serbia, and Andrea Amore from Malta taking home top honours. The grand prize, the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award for South Europe, was awarded to Pablo Falcón from Slovenia.

Supported by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Government of Malta, the event underscored the island’s growing reputation as a culinary destination.

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The Nationalist Party issued a statement calling for more resignations after Minister Clint Camilleri (along with the now resigned Clayton Bartolo) was found guilty of abuse of power and breaching the Code of Ethics by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. The case stems from Camilleri’s involvement in the fraudulent employment of the wife of former Minister Clayton Bartolo in a non-existent consultancy role.

The Nationalist Party said that, despite this, Abela continues to protect Camilleri. Leader Bernard Grech accused the Prime Minister of endorsing the fraud by refusing to support calls for Camilleri’s apology or refund of misappropriated public funds. The statements says that during a Parliamentary Standards Committee meeting, Labour members voted against motions to hold Camilleri accountable, including demands for an apology in the House and a full refund of the €16,000 paid for the phantom consultancy services.

Grech argues that Camilleri’s position is just as untenable as that of Bartolo, and it is time for the Prime Minister to take action.

Grech called on the public to gather in front of Parliament at 6pm on Monday to demand that Robert Abela act and show that his government cannot continue to protect corruption.

#MaltaDaily