3. Gastro Erasmus
Culinary Competition
2026

27^th - 29^th, March 2026

Manavgat - TÜRKİYE

About Gastro Erasmus 2026

Gastro Erasmus cooking competition is a professional skills competition organized in many European countries where gastronomy students from vocational high schools with accredited certificates will compete fiercely and to maximize the skills of the students.

Competitions focus on the skills and abilities of young people who have just entered or are about to enter a skilled profession. These competition rules cover the decisions and rules for the organization and conduct of the Gastro Erasmus Competition, which includes gastronomy skill competitions. It is updated by the Competition Committee and approved by the General Assembly. Participants must comply with the competition rules.

Role And Purpose Of Gastro Erasmus Competition

The Gastro Erasmus competition will provide a great opportunity for young people in many European countries to showcase their professional skills. Participation is based on success in national or international skills competitions.

Basic Values

Gastro Erasmus International's core values are diversity, excellence, equality, innovation, integrity, partnership and transparency. All accredited schools promote and support the values and principles of Gastro Erasmus International as set out in their code of ethics and conduct and demonstrate their commitment by acting with the highest level of integrity and fairness.

OUR JURY MEMBERS

Coordinator

Onur Arslan

General Coordinator

Jury President

Abdi Gündüz

Jury President

Event Schedule

26 March Thursday	27 March Friday	28 March Saturday	29 March Sunday	30 March Monday
Arrival of all participants in Antalya	JP1 Main Course Competition JP2 Individual Fish Plate Competition	JP3 Individual Pasta Competition JP4 Restaurant Dessert Plate Competition	SP1 Team Competition Closing Ceremony	Departure of all participants in Antalya

26 March
Thursday

27 March
Friday

28 March
Saturday

29 March
Sunday

30 March
Monday

Arrival of all participants in Antalya

JP1 Main Course Competition

JP2 Individual Fish Plate Competition

JP3 Individual Pasta Competition

JP4 Restaurant Dessert Plate Competition

SP1 Team Competition

Closing Ceremony

Departure of all participants in Antalya

CONTENT AND RULES

Startup Development Ideas

The Gastro Erasmus cooking competition is a vocational skill contest organized to push the abilities of culinary students from vocational high schools in many European countries, all of whom possess Accredited certificates, to the highest level. Contestants qualify through success in national or international skill competitions. These contests focus on the skills and abilities of young individuals who have just entered or are about to enter a skilled profession. These competition rules encompass the decisions and rules regarding the organization and execution of the Gastro Erasmus Contest, which includes culinary skill competitions. They are updated by the Competition Committee and approved by the General Assembly. Participants must comply with the competition rules.

Core Values

The core values of Gastro Erasmus International include diversity, excellence, equality, innovation, integrity, partnership, and transparency. All accredited schools promote and support Gastro Erasmus International's values and principles, as outlined in the Ethics and Conduct Codes, and demonstrate their commitments by acting with the highest level of honesty and fairness.

Disciplinary Rules

Any accredited individual who violates the general rules of the competition or refuses to comply with the regulations and guidelines, or acts in a manner that will harm the proper execution of the competition, will be disqualified from the contest.

Official Competition Documents

Competition documents include Ethics and Conduct Codes, Competition Rules, Health, Safety Guide (documents verifying no hindrance to participate in the competition) for each skill.

Competition Timeline:

The preparations and execution of the Gastro Erasmus competition involve several milestones with various individuals and follow a specific timeline. Changes made to the schedules in all stages and timelines will be communicated to the members via official emails and announced to participating school administrators through regular meetings at specific intervals.

Gastro Erasmus International Organization Committee

The Gastro Erasmus Competition Organization Committee is responsible for the overall management of the Gastro Erasmus Competition event. Within this responsibility, they will be accountable, together with stakeholders, from the beginning of the competition until the last day.

Competition Management Team

The hosting Accredited school organizing the competition (School Principal, Erasmus+ Project Coordinator, Culinary Field Department Head, Skill Competition Coordinator, Municipality, Civil Society Organizations, Sponsorship and Partnership Managers) constitutes the Competition Management Team and is responsible for all aspects of the competition's administrative management.

Selection Of Skill Competitions For Gastro Erasmus Competition

The Gastro Erasmus Competition spans decades in which labor markets, economies, and societies have shifted from stability to dynamism, predictability to unpredictability. New technologies present multifaceted challenges for preparing both the nature of work and the future of working. Thus, the Gastro Erasmus Competition now requires a flexible, responsive approach for the selection and organization of skill competitions. The foundational principles of such an approach include:

Mobility: Supporting the mobility of people and skills for accessibility, sustainability, transfer, and progression in work and life. Professionally, this involves “reading” professions and aiding the creation of vocational roadmaps;
Connectivity: Actively and definitively supporting the development of Members’ vocational education and training systems (VET) in relation to economies, labor markets, and societies;
Optimization: Shifting from a competition portfolio based on history, supply, and pragmatism to a dynamic relationship with significant global vocational and social trends.
Recycling and waste prevention: More extensive and active efforts to incorporate these practices into the food industry.

Role And Purpose Of Gastro Erasmus Competition

The Gastro Erasmus competition will provide a great opportunity for young people across many European countries to showcase their vocational skills. Participation is based on success in national or international skill competitions. The competitions chosen for the Gastro Erasmus competition should reflect the values of the professions that most benefit from well-prepared and talented young people's extraordinary performance. In this way, the Gastro Erasmus Competition can contribute to the collective and individual welfare of communities and economies across Europe.

Vocational Trends

Vocational and social trends are challenging the existing assumptions and approaches to vocational education and training. These include:

Expansion of skill development towards higher levels of education,
Greater diversity and richness in skill development,
A broader sense of ownership and interest,
A stronger appreciation and understanding of skill development. These trends are already visible in the Gastro Erasmus competition and directly reflect in the selection and organization of skill competitions.

Sustainability Of Vocational Skill Competitions

In a dynamic context, numerical data on participant demands hold a significant place in deciding whether a skill competition will continue. There are many areas today where innovation can occur. One of these areas is the food sector. The Gastro Erasmus skill competition has a few additional quality control and assurance measures needed for how it will be conducted and how it can be made continuous every year and used more actively:

Diversity,
Relevance, value, and trends in the labor market,
Competition quality, performance indicators.

Using these criteria, excellent active participation must be provided for sustainable use by participants and broader beneficiaries. High demand, suggesting interest, relevance, and value, may also indicate less favorable factors that each need to be consciously addressed, such as lack of alternatives or bottlenecks. Some skill competitions have universal appeal and very wide vocational spread. An overly demanded skill competition should not be overlooked, as it holds a very important place for the potential development of young people who want to continue in this sector.

Importance Of Gastro Erasmus For Participants

One of the main objectives of the Gastro Erasmus competition is to provide feedback to participants on the efficiency and effectiveness of Vocational Education systems and practices. A participant's recent experience affects performance; therefore, in principle, the suitability of contestants' age range should be determined within two years after leaving Vocational Education and Training. This will ensure that participants enter the sector at the most appropriate time and after they have gained the necessary experience.

Gastro Erasmus Competition Schedule - Categories - Rules

Date	Categories
25-26 March 2026	Arrival of all participants in Antalya
27 March 2026	JP1 Main Course Competition JP2 Individual Fish Plate Competition
28 March 2026	JP3 Individual Pasta Competition JP4 Restaurant Dessert Plate Competition
29 March 2026	SP1 Team Competition Closing Ceremony
30 March 2026	Departure of all participants in Antalya

All participating teams will be met at the airport and placed in hotels in Manavgat.

Host institution managers, managers of participating institutions, and the competition committee will meet at The Raga Hotel, where the competition will be held, to review the decisions related to the competition one last time to ensure no disruptions occur.

Each school will participate in 3 individual and 1 team competitions.

JP1 - MAIN COURSE COMPETITION

Time Limitation: Contestants will be given 60 minutes to present their products. They will prepare the products in two plates each. One of the products will be given to the jury, and the other will be left at the display stand.

Recipe and Description: Contestants will prepare the recipe and description of the products they will make in English and leave them on the table where they will present, in a way that the jury can see, before the competition starts.

Choice of Meat: Contestants will choose one from fish, beef, and lamb in the main course competition.

Submission of Recipes and Ingredients List: Contestants will send their recipes and ingredient lists to the following email addresses at least 30 days before the competition date. Emails sent outside this period will not be considered.

gastroerasmus@gmail.com

Provision of Ingredients:Contestants must provide themselves with the products they will use for the dishes they will make, in case they are not found in our country.

Handling of Materials: Contestants must put all the material they will compete with at the station where they will work at the specified time and collect them at the end of the competition.

Cleaning Responsibility: When the competition time is up, the contestant will empty the station he/she worked at and deliver it cleanly. Counters must be wiped, sinks cleaned, and trash taken. Dirty stations will result in the jury deducting points.

Late Serving Penalty: If the contestant serves the food late when the specified time is up, the jury will not evaluate it.

Jury Considerations: The jury will consider the skills of the contestants preparing the meals, the degree of difficulty, and contestants who use the time at the maximum level.

Preparations Allowed: The jury and the prize committee will allow some pre-preparations. In addition to the category criteria, the following will be allowed:

Washed and peeled vegetables
Basic broths and sauces
Uncooked ready-made dough

Dress Code: Contestants must wear chef's clothing.

Evaluation Criteria

1-Workmanship	2-Composition	3-Presentation And Taste
Preliminary	Meal Quantity Accuracy	Amount of non-renewable material
Working Method and Work Flow Sequence	Nutritive value	Flavor Combination
Hygiene	Material Combination	Visuality
Crafting Skill, Difficulty Level	Originality	Harmony with the menu
Waste Amount	Texture of Food	Practicality
Cooking Method	Portion Sizes	Hygiene during the presentation
Material Quality	Practical Ability	The Right Temperature
Equipment Usage	Amount of Garnish in the Meal	Understandability by the jury
Timing

JP2 - HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENT FISH PLATE COMPETITION

1. To prepare, cook and present 2 portions of a fish dish of the contestant's choice. 45 minutes will be given. It is recommended to bring the fish whole and process it there. One of the products will be given to the jury and the other will be left on the display stand.

2. Competitors will prepare the prescription and description of the products they will make in English and leave them on the table where they will present before the competition starts, in a way that the jury can see.

3.Competitors will choose one of the meats in the main dish competition.

4. Competitors must send their prescriptions and ingredient lists to the e-mail address below at least 30 days before the competition date. E-mails not sent within this period will not be taken into account.

gastroerasmus@gmail.com

5. Competitors must obtain the products they will use for the plates they will make themselves, in case they are not available in our country.

6. During the competition, they must put all the materials they will compete in at the station where they will work at the specified time and collect them at the end of the competition.

7. When the competition period ends, the contestant will vacate the station where he/she works and return it clean. Countertops should be wiped and sinks should be cleaned. Garbage must be picked up. The jury will deduct points for stations left dirty.

8. If the contestant serves his food late after the specified time period has expired, the jury will not take it into consideration.

9. The jury will take into account the skills of the contestants preparing their meals, the degree of difficulty, and the contestants who use their time at the maximum level.

10. The jury and the award committee will allow some preliminary preparations to be necessary. Apart from the category criteria, the following will be allowed.

*Washed and peeled vegetables
*Basic bouillons and sauces
*Uncooked ready-made dough

11. Competitors must wear cook clothes.

Evaluation Criteria

1-Workmanship	2-Composition	3-Presentation And Taste
Preliminary	Meal Quantity Accuracy	Amount of non-renewable material
Working Method and Work Flow Sequence	Nutritive value	Flavor Combination
Hygiene	Material Combination	Visuality
Crafting Skill, Difficulty Level	Originality	Harmony with the menu
Waste Amount	Texture of Food	Practicality
Cooking Method	Portion Sizes	Hygiene during the presentation
Material Quality	Practical Ability	The Right Temperature
Equipment Usage	Amount of Garnish in the Meal	Understandability by the jury
Timing

JP3 - HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENT PASTA COMPETITION

45 minutes to prepare 2 portions of a pasta type preferred by the contestants. time will be given. Pre-preparation can be made for pasta dough, but ready-made sauce is not allowed.

1. 45 minutes to prepare 2 portions of a pasta type preferred by the contestants. time will be given. Preliminary preparations can be made for the pasta dough, but the use of ready-made sauce is not allowed. One of the products will be given to the jury and the other will be left on the display stand.

3.Competitors will choose one of the meats in the main dish competition.

gastroerasmus@gmail.com

5. Competitors must obtain the products they will use for the plates they will make themselves, in case they are not available in our country.

6. During the competition, they must put all the materials they will compete in at the station where they will work at the specified time and collect them at the end of the competition.

8. If the contestant serves his food late after the specified time period has expired, the jury will not take it into consideration.

9. The jury will take into account the skills of the contestants preparing their meals, the degree of difficulty, and the contestants who use their time at the maximum level.

10. The jury and the award committee will allow some preliminary preparations to be necessary. Apart from the category criteria, the following will be allowed.

*Washed and peeled vegetables
*Basic bouillons and sauces
*Uncooked ready-made dough

11. Competitors must wear cook clothes.

Evaluation Criteria

1-Workmanship	2-Composition	3-Presentation And Taste
Preliminary	Meal Quantity Accuracy	Amount of non-renewable material
Working Method and Work Flow Sequence	Nutritive value	Flavor Combination
Hygiene	Material Combination	Visuality
Crafting Skill, Difficulty Level	Originality	Harmony with the menu
Waste Amount	Texture of Food	Practicality
Cooking Method	Portion Sizes	Hygiene during the presentation
Material Quality	Practical Ability	The Right Temperature
Equipment Usage	Amount of Garnish in the Meal	Understandability by the jury
Timing

JP4 - HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENT PASTA COMPETITION

1. Contestants will have 45 minutes to prepare 2 portions of a dessert of their choice.

2. Time will be provided.

3. Preliminary preparations can be made for the dessert, but the use of ready-made sauces or ingredients is not allowed.

4. One portion will be given to the jury, and the other will be left on the display stand.

5. Contestants must prepare the recipe and description of their dessert in English and leave them on the table for the jury to see before the competition begins.

6. Contestants must source the ingredients they will use for the dessert themselves, in case those ingredients are unavailable in the country hosting the competition.

7. During the competition, contestants must place all materials they will use at their station at the specified time and collect them at the end of the competition.

9. Late submissions will not be considered by the jury. The jury will evaluate contestants based on their skills in preparing the dessert, the level of difficulty, the quality of ingredients used, and creativity.

10. Competitors must wear chef uniform.

Evaluation Criteria

1-Workmanship	2-Composition	3-Presentation And Taste
Preliminary	Meal Quantity Accuracy	Amount of non-renewable material
Working Method and Work Flow Sequence	Nutritive value	Flavor Combination
Hygiene	Material Combination	Visuality
Crafting Skill, Difficulty Level	Originality	Harmony with the menu
Waste Amount	Texture of Food	Practicality
Cooking Method	Portion Sizes	Hygiene during the presentation
Material Quality	Practical Ability	The Right Temperature
Equipment Usage	Amount of Garnish in the Meal	Understandability by the jury
Timing

SP1 - TEAM COMPETITION

1. Each team will consist of 3 people. The competitors will be given 90 minutes to prepare 3 types of products.

2. Starter, main course and dessert plates will be prepared. 2 plates will be made from each. The prize of this competition will be given to the schools together with the competitor. If it is ready; The starter should be presented to the jury in 20-30 minutes, the main course in 40-70 minutes, and the dessert in 70-90 minutes. 2. Competitors will prepare the recipe and description of the products they will make in English and leave them on the table where they will present before the competition starts, where the jury can see it.

3.Competitors will prefer fish, chicken, veal or lamb in the main course.

gastroerasmus@gmail.com

5. The competitors have to supply the products they will use for the plates they will make, in case they are not found in our country. Other materials will be provided by the partner hotel.

6. During the competition, they must put all the materials they will compete in in the kitchens at the specified time and collect them at the end of the competition.

7. When the competition period is over, the competitor will empty the station and deliver it cleanly. The benches should be wiped and the sinks should be cleaned. Garbage must be removed. The jury will score points from the stations that are left dirty.

8. If the contestant serves his food late after the specified time period has expired, the jury will not take it into consideration.

9. The skills and difficulty level of the contestants who prepared the jury meals,

10. The jury and the award committee will allow some preliminary preparation to be required. Apart from the category criteria, the following will be allowed.

*Washed and peeled vegetables
*Basic bouillons and sauces
*Uncooked ready-made dough

11. Competitors must wear cook clothes.

Evaluation Criteria

1-Workmanship	2-Composition	3-Presentation And Taste
Preliminary	Meal Quantity Accuracy	Amount of non-renewable material
Working Method and Work Flow Sequence	Nutritive value	Flavor Combination
Hygiene	Material Combination	Visuality
Crafting Skill, Difficulty Level	Originality	Harmony with the menu
Waste Amount	Texture of Food	Practicality
Cooking Method	Portion Sizes	Hygiene during the presentation
Material Quality	Practical Ability	The Right Temperature
Equipment Usage	Amount of Garnish in the Meal	Understandability by the jury
Timing

ATTENTION!

* At each station, there will be a two-burner stove, grill, fryer, chopping board, mixer, blender, knife, and whisk.
* A refrigerator and a convection oven will be provided for shared use between both stations.
* The contestants will bring the ingredients for the products they will prepare themselves.
* It is recommended that participants arrive 1 or 2 days in advance to avoid any difficulties in finding materials.

ASSESSMENTS WILL BE OVER 100 POINTS.
1. GOLD MEDAL - OVER 90 POINTS
2. SILVER MEDAL - OVER 75 POINTS
3. BRONZE MEDAL - OVER 65 POINTS.
IN EACH CATEGORY, THE TOP 3 COMPETITORS WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE WILL BE GIVEN THE 1st, 2nd, 3rd PLACE. PRIZES WILL BE GIVEN AT THE END OF THE DAY.

ORGANIZATION

TEAM CONTACT
ONUR ARSLAN
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND GENERAL COORDINATOR
90 505 707 55 29

ALİ EYİLETEN
FOOD AND BEVERAGE TEACHER
90 505 917 54 61

3. Gastro Erasmus Culinary Competition2026

27th - 29th, March 2026

Manavgat - TÜRKİYE

About Gastro Erasmus 2026

Role And Purpose Of Gastro Erasmus Competition

Basic Values

OUR JURY MEMBERS

Onur Arslan

Abdi Gündüz

Event Schedule

CONTENT AND RULES

Startup Development Ideas

Core Values

Disciplinary Rules

Official Competition Documents

Competition Timeline:

Gastro Erasmus International Organization Committee

Competition Management Team

Selection Of Skill Competitions For Gastro Erasmus Competition

Role And Purpose Of Gastro Erasmus Competition

Vocational Trends

Sustainability Of Vocational Skill Competitions

Importance Of Gastro Erasmus For Participants

Gastro Erasmus Competition Schedule - Categories - Rules

JP1 - MAIN COURSE COMPETITION

Evaluation Criteria

JP2 - HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENT FISH PLATE COMPETITION

Evaluation Criteria

JP3 - HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENT PASTA COMPETITION

Evaluation Criteria

JP4 - HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENT PASTA COMPETITION

Evaluation Criteria

SP1 - TEAM COMPETITION

Evaluation Criteria

ATTENTION!

ORGANIZATION

Partners

Memories 2025

3. Gastro Erasmus
Culinary Competition
2026

27^th - 29^th, March 2026