Food Culture entrepreneur and official ambassador for Saimaa, European Region of Gastronomy 2024, Anni Inkeri Korhonen will join the jury of the 2026 European Young Chef Award, hosted by Gozo, European Region of Gastronomy 2026, from 29 November – 2 December 2026.
Anni Inkeri Korhonen is a Finnish food culture entrepreneur, chef, hostess of the wellbeing guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki, and former official ambassador for Saimaa, European Region of Gastronomy 2024. She is also a kantele player and singer, with a deep connection to Karelian cultural heritage and rural life.
For more than a decade, Anni has developed Puukarin Pysäkki in Eastern Finland, creating a distinctive food and hospitality concept rooted in Karelian traditions, local ingredients and the rhythms of nature. Her work brings together sustainable food systems, responsible tourism and living cultural heritage, with a particular interest in strengthening local food networks and rural livelihoods.
For Anni, food is much more than nourishment. It is a connection between people, nature, culture and place. Her philosophy is to create opportunities for guests to reconnect with nature, local traditions, themselves and one another.
Laughter and tears may both be present when spending time with this hostess, as she follows her daily state : Life should taste like life!
About IGCAT’s European Young Chef Award
The European Young Chef Award is an annual competition organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) that gathers young culinary talents from the awarded and candidate European Regions of Gastronomy. Selected each year through local contests, finalists to the European Young Chef Award compete by innovating traditional recipes from their regions using local ingredients.
The 10th edition of the European Young Chef Award is organised and promoted by IGCAT and hosted by Gozo, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2026. The competition will be held at the ITS-Institute of Tourism Studies on 29 November-2 December 2026.
About the World/European Regions of Gastronomy
World/European 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.
