The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is one of the world’s most prestigious culinary competitions, a global search for the next generation of exceptional chefs. In 2024, Zesty was appointed to produce the Pacific Regional Final: a three-day event across Crown College, Marameo, and The LUME Melbourne that went on to win Best Brand Event (State) at the 2025 Australian Event Awards and Symposium.

The brief had two distinct challenges. First, the competition. Zesty transformed an unused training kitchen at Crown College into a fully branded, state-of-the-art culinary arena meeting global competition standards. A choreographed environment for ten competing chefs where layout, equipment, uniforms, signage and sponsor visibility all had to function with absolute precision while looking entirely effortless.

Then came the gala at The LUME Melbourne. A 50-metre dining table set beneath immersive light projections, choreographed dancers, custom S.Pellegrino brand touchpoints, and a ceremony programme built to honour the artistry and ambition of the best emerging culinary talent in the Pacific region. The evening culminated in the announcement that KyongHo Daniel Choi would represent the Pacific at the World Final in Milan.

This wasn’t a competition with an event wrapped around it. It was a production designed to make the competition feel like exactly what it is: one of the defining moments in a young chef’s career.