Sodexo honors its chefs and culinary excellence at the international finale of the Cook for Change! competition

On March 24, 2026, Sodexo hosted the international Grand Finale of Cook for Change!, its sustainable chef challenge, in London, bringing together clients and partners. For this fourth edition, Sodexo awarded the talent, creativity, and commitment of its chefs in promoting food that is delicious, healthy, and sustainable.

After several months of competition involving more than 500 chefs, nine finalists from eight countries competed in a final cook-off before an outstanding jury of renowned chefs and industry experts, including:

• Frédéric Anton – Meilleur Ouvrier de France and multi-starred Chef (Pré Catelan – 3 Michelin stars, Jules Verne – 2 Michelin stars, Don Juan II – 1 Michelin star)
• Anna Haugh – TV presenter and Executive Head Chef/owner of Myrtle Restaurant in London
• Lloyd Mann – Sodexo’s Global Executive Chef
• Sinéad McLaughlin – Regional Corporate Chef at Rational, partner of Sodexo
• Jessie Sommarström – Executive Chef from Sodexo Sweden and Nobel Prize Banquet Chef 

The finalists’ challenge was to create a dish that was tasty, healthy and creative, while having a low environmental impact.
 

At the end of the competition, three prizes were awarded:

• Chef of the Year 2026: Robert Janse (Netherlands) for his “Smoked Kohlrabi with Miso, White Bean Cream and Kombucha Beurre Blanc”
• Culinary Innovation Award: Gordon Carberry (UK & Ireland) for his “Miso Roasted Parsnip with Textures of Parsnip, Wild Rice, Crispy Chickpeas and Aquafaba Mayonnaise”.
• Impact at Scale Award: Randall Prudden (United-States) for his “Whole Pumpkin with Roasted Maitake Mushroom & Mole Negro”.
   

The awards ceremony also served as an opportunity to underscore the need to reconcile taste, culinary expertise and transformation of food systems, notably through remarks by Brent Loken.

Beyond the competition itself, Cook for Change! demonstrates how Sodexo’s culinary expertise creates value for its clients. Through food offers that are both tasty, healthy and sustainable, Sodexo meets growing consumer expectations while helping its clients achieve their performance and sustainability objectives.

The Grand Finale was streamed live on YouTube, allowing a wide audience to follow this international event celebrating culinary creativity. The replay is available here. For more information on the challenge, the finalists and their dishes, please consult the dedicated press kit.