On March 24th 2026 nine finalist chefs from eight countries will head to London to compete in the Grand Finale of Cook for Change, Sodexo’s sustainable culinary challenge. Their dishes will be evaluated by a jury of renowned chefs and food experts.

Through this internal competition, Sodexo shines a light on the culinary talent of its chefs, committed to creating food that is both healthier and lower in environmental impact. The fourth edition of the competition is organised in partnership with Rational Group.

Over recent months, it has brought together more than 500 chefs from 30 countries through a renewed format that included three regional semi-finals held last November in Chicago, Shanghai and France.

Each finalist has created a recipe that expresses their culinary identity, while placing plant-based ingredients at the centre of the plate and focusing on seasonality, nutritional quality and reduced carbon footprint.

The nine finalists are:

• Peter Brass (Australia): Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil Croquette with Herbal TeaInfused Cauliflower Leaves and Cauliflower Purée, Finished with Sweet Potato Chips.
• Ricardo Machado (Brazil): Tian of root to stem Beets, mushrooms and Squash, beetroot reduction and root granola.
• Denisse Galvez (Chile): Slow cooked Cochayuyo (seaweed) confit vegetables, Potato Mille-Feuille and young Sprouting shoots.
• Randall Prudden (United States): The Whole Pumpkin with roasted Maitake Mushroom & Mole Negro.
• Joel Ryan (United States): Vegan Panisse "Poutine" with maitake mushroom hemp gravy and cashew curds.
• Faustine Germain (France): Perfect poached egg, creamed polenta, tomme de savoie, glazed asparagus with a crispy quinoa and sauce vierge.
• Gordon Carberry (Ireland): Miso roasted Parsnip with textures of Parsnip, wild rice, crispy chickpeas and aquafaba mayonnaise.
• Pravin Nanaware (India): “Sustainable Sea & Root” Grilled watermelon sweet potato crisps and candid watermelon marmalade.
• Robert Janse (Netherlands): Smoked Kohlrabi with miso, white bean cream and kombucha beurre blanc.

Thierry Delaporte, Sodexo Group chief executive, said: “Cook for Change illustrates our deep-rooted belief that food is both a powerful lever for positive impact and a driver of performance for our clients.

“Thanks to the commitment and creativity of our chefs, we help reduce our clients’ indirect emissions while meeting the rising consumer expectations around nutrition, health and taste. This initiative demonstrates that performance, enjoyment and sustainability can absolutely go hand in hand.”