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Eight European chefs join the four Spanish representatives

The finalists at the European semifinal of Chef Balfegó 2026, held in Paris.

The final will bring together talent from six countries

The European semifinal of Chef Balfegó 2026 has already defined the eight chefs who will compete for the title in Madrid on November 30. The selection, drawn from thirteen participants across nine countries, completes an international final featuring twelve chefs and 19 Michelin stars.

Eight chefs secure a spot for Madrid

06/11/26

The semifinal of the 9th edition of Chef Balfegó took place on October 26 at the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris.The thirteen participants were required to create a dish featuring Balfegó red tuna as the star ingredient. After evaluating the proposals, the jury selected eight chefs hailing from six European countries.

The qualifiers are:
Claudio Ferrante, from Quellenhof Gourmetstube 1897 (Italy), with one Michelin star.
Davide Polli, from Pramerl and the Wolf (Austria), with one Michelin star.
Jan Nachtigall, from Kettner’s Kamota (Germany), with one Michelin star.
Marcel Odlas, from Vila Joya (Portugal), with two Michelin stars.
Michael Corpel, from Restaurant De Moerbei (Netherlands), with one Michelin star.
Osiris Geronimo, from La Rei Natura by Michelangelo Mammoliti (Italy), with three Michelin stars.
Thomas Cagna, from Le Wauthier By Cagna (France), with no Michelin star indicated in the provided information.
Tobias Günther, from Haerlin (Germany), with three Michelin stars.

The eight finalists represent Italy, Germany, Austria, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France. In the final, they will join the four previously selected Spanish chefs: Alberto Montes, from Atrio (Cáceres), with three Michelin stars; Ariel Munguía, from Canfranc Express (Huesca), with one; Israel Moreno, from Ayalga (Ribadesella), with one; and Luca Perna, from Enigma (Barcelona).

An international jury with sixteen stars

The semifinal featured a jury of six internationally acclaimed chefs whose careers collectively total sixteen stars.

The panel consisted of:

Paolo Casagrande, from Lasarte restaurant (Barcelona), with three Michelin stars.
Daniel Schimkowitsch, from L.A. Jordan (Deidesheim, Germany), with three Michelin stars.
Christopher Coutanceau, from Christopher Coutanceau restaurant (La Rochelle, France), with three Michelin stars.
Viki Geunes, from Zilte (Antwerp, Belgium), with three Michelin stars.
José Avillez, from Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal), with two Michelin stars.
Salvatore Elefante, from L’Olivo (Capri, Italy), with two Michelin stars.

The participants had one hour to prepare a dish using the cut of tuna they had chosen. The evaluation took into account flavor, aroma, texture, presentation, ingredient balance, and product handling. The test focused both on technical mastery and the ability to build an original culinary proposal starting from the exact same raw material.

Madrid to decide the new Chef Balfegó

The final on November 30 will bring together all twelve chefs at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid. The restaurants where they work boast a combined total of 19 Michelin stars, a figure that places this edition among the highest-level events in the contest’s history.

The final test will require two preparations featuring Balfegó red tuna as a mandatory ingredient. The first must be prepared using the loin, while for the second, each chef may choose the cut of the tuna they consider most appropriate.Participants will once again need to demonstrate product knowledge, technical precision, and creative flair.

The winner will succeed German chef Franz-Josef Unterlechner, from the Schwarzreiter restaurant in Munich, who won the 2025 edition. The first prize includes €6,000, a gastronomic trip to Japan for two people, professional audiovisual coverage, and other gifts from sponsors and collaborators. The award ceremony will take place at the Teatro Príncipe Pío in Madrid.

Promoted by Balfegó, the competition aims to champion gastronomic talent and explore the culinary possibilities of red tuna. This edition is sponsored by Estrella Galicia, Le Nouveau Chef, Mapfre, and Calvisius, with the collaboration of TheFork, La Conreria, Acqua Panna, S.Pellegrino, Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Sorlut, and Match Tonic Water. It also receives support from Prodeca – Generalitat de Catalunya, helping provide international exposure to eighteen Catalan companies participating in the event.

Gourmenials Signature
Chef Balfegó has turned red tuna into a shared culinary challenge across different European gastronomic cultures. The Madrid final will showcase how twelve chefs interpret the very same product through diverse techniques, sensitivities,and backgrounds, with a deep knowledge of the raw material as their common denominator.