MEDYS 2023 Chefs’ Competition Reveal

With the 8th edition of the Mediterranean Yacht Show fast approaching, it’s time to shine a spotlight on one of the most popular events of the show, the Chefs’ Competition, which provides the chefs of the attending yachts with a wonderful opportunity: to showcase their skills and bring their creativity to the table. It’s Greek gastronomy at its veritable best.

Each year, the superyacht chefs are faced with a specific challenge. They must rise to the occasion by creating a dish that is a unique interpretation of the theme that is set. This year the competition will be exploring an environmentally friendly food trend that is most certainly here to stay. The chefs can forget the trash bin as the theme is ‘Zero Waste From the Greek Seas’, and participating chefs must prepare a dish that celebrates the essence of Greece by using ingredients sourced from the Greek seas in their entirety.

While increasingly found in contemporary restaurants around the world, sustainable eating is not actually a new thing. In fact, here in Greece, our ancestors took what they needed, and nothing more. They gave back to the land and respected the seas. It’s a “waste not, want not” message that is rooted in our history. Waste wasn’t a buzzword in the luxury world until recently, but it has become a major movement due to its simplicity and purity. And it is certainly better for our health and the environment.

The Tablescaping Competition 

Each year, during the Chef’s Competition, the chief steward/esses are vying to create exquisite table settings – the perfect setting for the dishes that will be presented and that will complement the chefs’ creations. A celebration of style, the Tablescaping Competition is also a much-loved MEDYS tradition.

Two Michelin Star chefs join the judging panel

The stellar chefs gracing this year’s judging panel have both been awarded 2 Michelin stars due to their masterful command of the culinary art and will surely bring out the best in the competitors. 

First up is Chef George Papazacharias of Delta Restaurant in Athens, the only two Michelin-starred restaurant in the country. Despite his young age, Papazacharias has already made a name for himself in the culinary world and his commitment to zero-waste is legendary. It has earned him a coveted Michelin Green Star. Papazacharias also curated the menu for Under, the world's largest underwater restaurant in Norway. With his charismatic personality and creative approach to cooking, Papazacharias adds a new dimension to this year's competition.

The second judge is Chef Antonio Mellino, from the exceptionally elegant Quattro Passi restaurant in Nerano. It may have appeared on the fine-dining scene some 30 years ago, but it remains one of the must-visit locations on the Amalfi Coast. Chef Mellino creates dishes that take guests on an unforgettable and mouth-watering journey, and he is also an excellent host. Exuberance, warmth, passion and talent are what have set him apart in the extremely competitive culinary world.