Young Chefs Hone Their Skills Together: GRANVISTA Group’s In-House Culinary Competition

GRANVISTA Hotels & Resorts, guided by its brand statement, "Changing the future with value for communities," operates hotels, aquariums, highway restaurants, and golf courses across Japan. One of key priorities for the group is showcasing the unique appeal of each region through cuisine made with local ingredients. Additionally, GRANVISTA is committed to nurturing young chefs, empowering them to become culinary storytellers of regional flavors.

GRANVISTA has traditionally held an annual culinary competition for its young chefs. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, the event had been on pause since 2019. This year, after six years, the competition made its long-awaited return, welcoming participants from all GRANVISTA facilities.

The venue for the final round of the contest was the Sapporo Grand Hotel. Chefs who passed the recipe review, held between November and December of the previous year, gathered at the Sapporo Grand Hotel for the final event.

The cooking contest was divided into six categories, each with its own unique theme. The Western cuisine category and Chinese cuisine category focused on "chicken dishes," the Japanese cuisine category featured "grilled hassun (an appetizer on an about 24cm square tray)," the breakfast category highlighted "healthy dishes using local ingredients," the pastry category was centered around "strawberry desserts," and the snack category showcased "rice bowls made with local ingredients."

Each participant had 8 minutes to present their dish, during which the judges tasted the food, listened to the chef’s introduction, and asked questions. In addition to the taste, the judges also evaluated the appearance, reproducibility, and presentation of the dishes. Many questions were raised by the judges regarding ingredients, cooking methods, and the stories behind the creation of the menus.

Among the young chefs who entered the contest, many were participating for the first time, and they all appeared nervous as they made their presentations. Despite their nerves, each chef answered the questions carefully and accurately, reflecting their dedication to creating dishes designed to be served to customers. The young chefs’ poise and attention to detail left a strong impression.

A total of 31 dishes and cakes were presented. The sight of them all lined up in the venue was truly breathtaking.

As professionals, we must continue to sharpen our skills and improve within the competitive framework," says Yuji Funahashi, Executive Chef and Chair of the Judging Committee for this year's cooking contest. We spoke with him about his thoughts behind organizing the competition.

"We restarted the cooking contest to strengthen the development of young chefs across GRANVISTA Hotels & Resorts. The menu is not something the head chefs decide. My hope is that each chef will use this as an opportunity to independently come up with their own dishes.　
At GRANVISTA, we have a variety of facilities, and the dining experiences of our guests differ greatly. But one thing is common: the significance of the food. Delicious meals are essential to making a memorable travel experience. We continue to ask ourselves endless, zen-like questions, striving to find answers that may not even have one. Our job is to keep struggling with these unanswered questions. Struggling and thinking are necessary for growth. Through this contest, I want young chefs to gain that experience," says Funahashi, feeling a sense of achievement from the competition.
Finally, he encouraged all the young chefs, saying, "Don't get too caught up in the contest results; instead, focus on proactively developing your own menus.

At the award ceremony following the judging, the Best Award, Excellence Award, and Special Award were announced for each category. From these, the overall Best Award, Excellence Award, and Special Award were then determined.

The overall Best Award was presented to Atsushi Sugawara from Sapporo Grand Hotel for his dish "Round Chicken Breast and Vegetables with Hong You Sauce" in the Chinese cuisine category. The Excellence Award went to Mitsuaki Tamiya from Sapporo Grand Hotel for his "Gateau Fraise" in the pastry category. The Special Award was given to Ayaka Mizusaki from Hotel Intergate Kanazawa for her "Noto Fugu and Kanazawa Ohno Koji Gratin" in the breakfast category.

The winner of the Best Award, Atsushi Sugawara, is in his first year at Sapporo Grand Hotel. He previously gained experience as a chef at another hotel. The dish that won him the award was a colorful creation made with vegetables and chicken, shaped like a ball. The soy sauce-based sauce was enhanced with red fermented tofu and spices, giving it a fragrant finish. "To create the ball shape, I struggled with the perfect cooking time for the vegetables. Sapporo Grand Hotel has an atmosphere that values free thinking, and I’m grateful that my ideas are supported. I’m truly happy to receive such an award," he expressed with joy.

Mitsuaki Tamiya, who received the Excellence Award, said, "I focused on creating a vibrant, spring-like dish. I hope to apply this experience going forward." Ayaka Mizusaki, who won the Special Award, shared, "In Kanazawa, where the culture of fermented cuisine is deeply rooted, I used local ingredients to create this dish. Through my cooking, I hope to convey the charm of Kanazawa. I learned a lot through this competition," she said passionately.

The award-winning dishes will soon be served to guests at each hotel. Please look forward to more diverse and exciting dishes from GRANVISTA in the future.