Otto Hietamies wins silver for Finland in international Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition

Press release | Wed Oct 12 10:16:00 2022

Otto Hietamies came second in the international Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition in Mexico last Saturday. The gold medal went to Norway. Hietamies, who works at Kultá Kitchen & Bar in Lapland Hotels Bulevardi, was particularly praised for his flavours and technique by the judges.

This year, the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition brought together 18 chefs under the age of 27 from all around the world. Organised by the world’s oldest gastronomic society, La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the competition has longstanding traditions and was first held in 1977.

The last time Finland was in the top three was in 2018, when Emmiina Marianne Lehtonen took third prize. Norwegian chefs have won the competition in 2021 and 2020. Otto Hietamies, Finland’s representative in this year’s Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition, entered the competition with his eyes on the prize and returns home to Finland with a silver medal. Hietamies and his coach Sanna Rahkonen say that the competition went wonderfully and according to plan.

– “I’m feeling good. Second place means a lot to me: it’s great to win a medal for Finland and be part of this competition alongside the world’s best young chefs. With Norway in first place, it’s great to have Nordic countries in the lead,” Hietamies says.

Caption: Otto Hietamies was recognised as the second best young chef in the world. Photo: Sanna Rahkonen.

Familiar ingredients

Hietamies’ competition menu included crayfish ceviche, crab and oyster mousseline, fennel, cauliflower and crab mayonnaise as a starter. The main course was a New York strip steak, beef ragout, onion, artichoke and sauce seasoned with smoked beef fat. The dessert was white chocolate mousse, raisin parfait, pineapple and a tuile.

– “All the ingredients were already familiar to us. The only issue was how small the kitchen and workstation were, but we were able overcome that. The competition went great, and the judges gave praise for both flavours and technique. They also gave a few pointers for the future, which we appreciate, of course,” Rahkonen says.

Hietamies has worked in Lapland Hotels’ Kultá Kitchen & Bar restaurant for four years. Before the competition, he said that the skills that he would be showcasing on the world stage were learned from his employer.

– “All my culinary expertise and competition techniques stem from Lapland Hotels. We have such good, pure ingredients straight from Lapland there. The menu is different in every hotel and we are given fairly free rein in planning them. It has taught me a lot,” he says.

For further information and interview requests, please contact:

Sanna Rahkonen
Chef
Kultá Kitchen & Bar, Lapland Hotels Bulevardi, Helsinki
+358 40 549 7247
sanna.rahkonen@laplandhotels.com

Riikka Tenhunen
Restaurant Manager
Kultá Kitchen & Bar, Lapland Hotels Bulevardi, Helsinki
riikka.tenhunen@laplandhotels.com