After a 2021 full of international successes, Italy triumphs again. In fact, Matteo Cignetti has just been elected best young chef in the world, becoming the first chef from Italy to win the Olympiad Young Chef, a contest attended by the best young chefs on the planet.

And, among them all, our Matteo (19 years old) triumphed, capable of beating a competition of 42 opponents, all in virtual connection with the jury. The competition, due to the pandemic, in fact took place online, with the chefs followed live by 4 cameras and under the eyes of two local judges.

Born in 2003 and from the province of Ivrea in Piedmont, Matteo Cignetti currently attends the École Hôtelière de la Valle d'Aosta in Chatillon. The passion for cooking was born when Matteo was just a child, then cultivated through a lot of passion and the inevitable studies at the hotel institute. Last year the new best young chef in the world triumphed in the competition reserved for students of Italian hotel management schools, organized by the Italian Federation of Chefs, then two important internships at the Gardenia, in the Turin area, and La Madernassa di Guarene, two Michelin stars, under the watchful eye of Michelangelo Mammoliti.

The triumph at the Olympics for young chefs will certainly open new and important doors for Matteo, who, however, already has clear ideas for his future. His dream is to refine his art in some of the most important kitchens in the world, such as Central in Lima or Noma in Copenhagen. Then, who knows, a return to Italy to open his own restaurant.

At the Olympiad Young Chef, Cignetti's was not the only recognition for Italy. Gianluca Masullo, from the institute attended by the new champion, was awarded the Best Mentor Award.