The promotion contest of the Shandong Division of “Pursuing Freshness · WEI DA MEI Young Chef Contest” was ended successfully

On October 16, the promotion contest of the Shandong Division of “Pursuing Freshness · WEI DA MEI Young Chef Contest” was successfully ended at Jinan Luneng Hilton Hotel. As the first offline promotion contest in the five major national divisions, 20 contestants participated in this contest, who stood out from more than 600 contestants across the country and competed fiercely focusing on the designated ingredients. In the end, 3 contestants stood out thanks to their precise and sensitive control over freshness and outstanding cooking skills, and were included in the national final, where they would compete with other contestants for the honor of “Shinho Star Chef”.

The whole contest not only presents a high-level cooking feast, but also interprets WEI DA MEI’s original intention of empowering the growth of young chefs, with diverse on-site arrangements, professional evaluation system and three-dimensional communication matrix.

The promotion contest of the Shandong Division was jointly sponsored by the WFCCI and WEI DA MEI Catering Service Brand, co-sponsored by Shandong Hotel Association and reported by [MINGCHU] which serves as the official media partner. “Such a strong cooperation can create a fair, just and professional competitive platform for young chefs.” Just as Jia Xiaojin, the general manager of WEI DA MEI Catering Service Business Unit of Shinho Group, said in her speech, “We hope to build a platform for young chefs through contests for their growth and the inheritance and innovation of Chinese food culture.” She emphasized that WEI DA MEI would as always help the young chefs achieve career breakthroughs with the full link design of “selection - training - empowerment - output”.

Wang Zhaohui, the China’s Cooking Master and the Secretary General of WFCCI China Service Committee, served as the supervisor in the contest and delivered a speech. She believes that the contest’s theme “pursuing freshness” and the focus on the innovation of “fresh” taste and health coincided with the industry’s needs of pursing the original taste of ingredients and upgrading quality at present. Through the empowerment of the whole chain, young chefs can improve their skills, broaden their horizons and understand the cultural value and market logic behind dishes. Just as the concept of “Technology + culture” upheld by WEI DA MEI during its exploration in the F&B industry for 27 years goes, excellent young chefs should not only create delicious food but also transmit the Chinese food culture.

Hei Weiyu, the chief referee of the Division, read out the rules of the contest for contestants and delivered a speech: “We will comprehensively evaluate the contestants from many aspects, such as professionalism, expression and operation, to ensure that the contest is fair, just and open. Young chefs should have not only solid basic skills, but also stage expression and innovative thinking. I hope that every contestant can seize the opportunity to demonstrate your talents and skills.”

Shandong is the birthplace of China’s Confucian culture. The local Shandong people pay attribute to the ancestors using cattle, sheep and pigs since ancient times. Yellow beef is commonly accepted as the very superior ingredient thanks to the delicate meat quality. Yellow cattle (such as Luxi yellow cattle) have been widely cultivated in Shandong plain. Featuring fine meat quality and uniform fat between muscles, the yellow beef is the preferred ingredient for Shandong cuisine and has been widely used in these cuisines, from banquet dishes to daily diet, reflecting the inclusiveness of Shandong cuisines. The reason why the yellow beef is chosen as the theme of Shandong Division is ascribed to the event concept of “one city, one flavor” and in-depth integration with the local ingredients and regional culture.

The contestants need to finish a creative “yellow beef”-themed dish and a self-selected dish within 90min. After a series of rigorous tests from the operation standard supervision of ingredients preparation in kitchen and food safety to the professional and logical expression on dish concept on the stage, the top 3 contestants were included in the Shandong Division, who would participate in the national final.

-TOP1 (special gold award): Wang Yi From: Jinan Restaurant: Jinan Yinfeng Ramada Hotel Post: Head chef in Chinese Kitchen Score of the entry: 93.18 Themed dish: [Mushroom-flavored Beef Tartar with 8-year Caviar] Self-selected dish: [Stewed Hericium Erinaceus with Ox Bone Stew]

-TOP2 (gold award): Hu Yujun From: Weihai Restaurant: Rongcheng Yue Er Wan Resort Hotel Post: Head chef of Chinese Food Kitchen Score of the entry: 90.60 Themed dish: [Roasted Beef with Nuts and Crispy Peppers] Self-selected dish: [Braised Sea Eel with Sole Garlic]

-TOP3 (gold award): Man Changshuo From: Jinan Restaurant: Courtyard · Banquet Position: Restaurant Manager Score of the entry: 89.18 Themed dish: [New Shandong Cuisine Nine-turn Yellow Beef] Self-selected dish: [Solid Long Island Sea Cucumber with Scallion]

Jia Xiaojin, the general manager of WEI DA MEI Catering Service Business Unit, Wang Zhaohui, the representative of WFCCI, and Yan Weixing, the representative of Shandong Hotel Association, presented awards to the winners.

Following the successful ending of the contest in Shandong Division, the regional promotion contests of the 2025 WEI DA MEI Young Chef Contest entered the “relay mode”: The contests in the East China Division (Nanjing), Sichuan-Chongqing Division (Chengdu), North China Division (Beijing) and Central Plains Division (Zhengzhou) will kick off in succession. The top 15 contestants, with 3 from each of the five divisions, will enter the national final, and participate in the “Shinho Chef Trainee Program” where they will receive professional training from CieCAS and face-to-face exchange with Michelin-starred restaurant chefs. In the future, WEI DA MEI will promote the inheritance and innovation of the Chinese food culture continuously, and help more young chefs break through the professional bottleneck and play a “dominant” role in the Chinese food industry by taking the events as a very platform.