“In this competition, I would love to faithfully represent my region through my passion for its heritage and its cuisine,” states Landen Hickman, chosen to represent the First Coast, nominated World Region of Gastronomy 2031 (USA), at the 1st Americas Young Chef Award.
Born and raised on Florida’s First Coast, Landen Hickman has a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Florida. He discovered his calling as a chef in a small fine-dining restaurant by the beach in Jacksonville, where his team encouraged him to create the daily specials.
His inspiration comes from home-grown produce, from his botanist grandfather and from a childhood spent fishing, foraging and on the water. He is passionate about the heritage of his region, especially the Minorcan legacy of St. Augustine, and champions a fine cuisine that is not built on luxury but on revealing the value of humble ingredients, local knowledge and shared memory.
For Landen, gastronomy is a way to express himself on a plate and to feed the people he loves. He sees sustainable, locally sourced cooking as something invaluable to the community.
At the Americas Young Chef Award 2026, Landen presented Journey to Freedom, a reinterpretation of the traditional Minorcan Shrimp Pilau that honors the Minorcan settlers who escaped the New Smyrna colony in 1777 and walked to Saint Augustine in search of freedom. The plating symbolically retraces the Old King’s Road. The dish was created with the 250th anniversary of the Minorcan exodus in 2027 in mind. It proposes a vision of fine dining built not on luxury, but on revealing the value of humble ingredients, local knowledge and shared memory.
About IGCAT’s Young Chef Awards
The Young Chef Award is an international competition organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT) that gathers young culinary talents from awarded and candidate Regions of Gastronomy annually, and hosted its first Americas edition in 2026 in Manabí, World Region of Gastronomy 2026. Selected each year through local contests, finalists of the Young Chef Awards compete by innovating traditional recipes from their regions using local ingredients.
IGCAT counts on the support of the official ambassador of the Americas competition, Manabitan-renowned chef Valentina Álvarez who truly endorses its principles. Valentina stated that “Gastronomy is a magical intersection that blends landscapes, people, culture, products, and heritage, from which a fabric is woven that builds an identity allowing us to call ourselves!”
The 1st edition of the Americas Young Chef Award is organised and promoted by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) and hosted by Manabí, World Region of Gastronomy 2026 at Iche School-Restaurant-Lab, with the support of the Fuegos Foundation, Prefectura of Manabí and CAF.
About the World Regions of Gastronomy
World Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to strengthen food security through the celebration of distinctive food cultures; create employment by stimulating creativity and gastronomic innovation; nourish children and adults through culinary and cultural education; driving environmental sustainability in tourism, hospitality and agricultural sectors; supporting balance and sustainable tourism practices; highlighting and supporting expertise from within rural and urban communities, creating connections and sharing good practices; and contributing to community health and well-being.
About IGCAT
IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance of protecting and promoting distinct regional food, culture, arts and natural assets as part of sustainable and balanced tourism and development strategies. This is essential to safeguarding our planet, health, wellness and local economies.
IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.
IGCAT founded the World/European Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the World/European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers Award and the international Food Film Menu.
