Italian chef in the Netherlands named Chef of the Year: ‘Totally unexpected!’
It’s always nice to receive an award. But when the prize is also awarded by your peers, it feels extra special. This happened to Italian chef Pasquale Carfora of Italian Fine Dining Restaurant Aroma in Vaassen. Pasquale received the award from JRE (Jeunes Restaurateurs).
JRE is a restaurant association bringing together young and ambitious entrepreneurs. With 50 years of history, a network in 16 countries, 400 young top chefs and more than 190 Michelin stars. Not just any old club, then! With its annual awards ceremony, JRE aims to reward exceptional talent and outstanding entrepreneurship. What makes these awards special is that the winners are chosen by the members themselves.
Chef of the Year
Pasquale Carfora graduated as a civil engineer, but his heart had always been in the kitchen. From an early age, he learned the wisdom of preparing food in the countryside, where everything came fresh from the land and the ethos was ‘we eat what we produce’, a philosophy passed down by his grandfather. Nine years ago, he began a culinary journey from the picturesque town of Sabaudia in southern Italy, just south of Rome, to the Netherlands. According to JRE, this distinction highlights “his extraordinary talent and creativity in transforming gastronomic ideas into balanced creations”.
“For me, it was totally unexpected, because let’s be honest: I’m a bit of the odd one out at JRE as the only Italian. It’s a truly wonderful feeling to receive this tribute from your colleagues,” says Pasquale.
Restaurant Aroma
Restaurant Aroma is known for Italian Fine Dining, using the finest Italian-quality ingredients and local seasonal produce from the Veluwe. In recent years, Pasquale has already received several awards, including Italian Restaurant of the Year 2023 (awarded by the professional jury of Italië Magazine), 43rd place in Top50 Italy (the best Italian restaurants outside Italy), winner of the Less Salt, More Flavor award, the Primo dei Campi competition and the Palux Young Innovation Award International 2024. So it’s no wonder that he has now also been named Chef of the Year by his colleagues.
More JRE awards
In addition to Chef of the Year, awards were also presented for Host of the Year and Restaurant of the Year. Sommelier Lino de Vrede of Au Coin des Bons Enfants won the award for best host, while restaurant Spetters in Breskens won the award for Restaurant of the Year.
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