SP1 – Best School Team
Three Students. One Team. One School.
The SP1 – Best School Team category is the flagship team competition of GastroErasmus 2027 – 4th International Culinary Competition. Unlike the individual categories, SP1 is not only about the performance of a single competitor. It is about how effectively three young chefs can work together, communicate, organise their kitchen and represent their school as one professional culinary team.
Each participating team consists of three students from the same school. Together, they must plan, prepare and present a complete three-course menu consisting of a Starter, Main Course and Dessert within the official competition time.
SP1 ultimately answers one of the most important questions of GastroErasmus:
Which school can build the strongest culinary team?
The category has been a core part of GastroErasmus in previous editions and is officially structured as a three-student team competition.
The Challenge
Each school will be represented by a team of three students. The team will have 90 minutes to prepare a complete three-course restaurant menu.
The menu must consist of:
Starter
Main Course
Dessert
Teams must prepare two identical plates of each course, resulting in a total of six plates. One set will be presented to the international jury for evaluation, while the second will be used for official presentation and display.
All three students may contribute to any component of the menu. However, the team must demonstrate clear organisation, effective division of responsibilities, communication and professional teamwork throughout the competition. The 90-minute format and three-course requirement are established in the official competition rules.
Competition at a Glance
Category: SP1 – Best School Team
Competition Type: Team Competition
Team: 3 Students from the Same School
Competition Time: 90 Minutes
Menu: Starter + Main Course + Dessert
Required Presentation: 2 Identical Plates of Each Course
Total Plates: 6
Maximum Score: 100 Points
Award: Best School Team
Three Courses. One Complete Menu.
SP1 is not simply three separate dishes prepared at the same time. The Starter, Main Course and Dessert should come together as a coherent three-course menu.
The jury will consider how successfully the team creates balance and progression across the menu. Flavours, ingredients, textures, portion sizes and presentation should demonstrate thoughtful planning.
Each course should have its own identity while remaining part of the same overall culinary concept.
The objective is to create an experience that could realistically be presented as a professional three-course restaurant menu.
Starter
The Starter introduces the team's culinary concept. It should stimulate the appetite without being unnecessarily heavy and should demonstrate technique, balance and clean presentation.
Main Course
The Main Course should represent the technical centre of the menu. Teams may select fish, chicken, veal/beef or lamb as the principal protein in accordance with the established SP1 competition format.
The dish should demonstrate correct cooking techniques, balanced accompaniments, appropriate textures and professional presentation.
Dessert
The Dessert completes the menu and should provide a strong final impression. Teams should consider flavour balance, sweetness, texture, temperature and presentation while ensuring that the dessert complements the overall concept of the menu.
Service Windows
SP1 is designed to reproduce the rhythm and pressure of a professional restaurant kitchen. Teams cannot simply complete all dishes at the end of the 90-minute competition.
Each course must be presented within its designated service window.
Starter: between 20–30 minutes
Main Course: between 40–70 minutes
Dessert: between 70–90 minutes
Serving outside the designated windows may result in point deductions. The existing official rules specify a penalty of one point per minute for service outside these windows.
This means teams must think beyond cooking. They must plan production, coordinate three students and ensure that every course reaches the jury at the correct moment and at the correct temperature.
What Will the Jury Be Looking For?
SP1 is fundamentally a test of culinary skill and teamwork.
The jury will evaluate both the finished three-course menu and the professional performance of the team throughout the 90-minute competition.
A technically excellent dish alone is not enough to become the Best School Team. The three competitors must demonstrate that they can operate as a coordinated professional kitchen unit.
The jury will observe organisation, communication, division of responsibilities, use of equipment, preparation techniques, hygiene, ingredient management, timing and the ability to respond effectively under pressure.
The final menu will be evaluated for technical execution, flavour, texture, presentation, creativity and overall harmony.
In SP1, individual talent matters. Teamwork makes the difference.
Teamwork & Kitchen Organisation
Every member of the team should have an active and meaningful role.
Teams are free to organise their responsibilities according to their own strategy. One student may take greater responsibility for a particular course while the other members support preparation and service, or responsibilities may be distributed across different components.
There is no requirement for each student to prepare only one course. The official rules allow all three competitors to work on any dish, but the team must demonstrate organisation.
The strongest teams will demonstrate clear communication without unnecessary confusion, efficient use of shared equipment, intelligent task distribution and the ability to support one another when required.
SP1 should look like a professional kitchen team, not three individual competitors working next to each other.
Ingredients & Mise-en-Place
GastroErasmus is a live culinary competition, and the essential technical preparation must take place during the competition.
Vegetables and fruits may arrive washed and peeled but must not be pre-cut or shaped. Basic untreated stocks may be prepared beforehand, but finished sauces are prohibited. Raw rested pasta or pastry dough may be prepared in advance where required, and fruit pulps or purées may be brought provided they have not been seasoned or finished.
Ready-made sauces, finished glazes and pre-cooked proteins are strictly prohibited.
These rules ensure that the jury can evaluate the actual professional skills of all three students during the live competition.
Preparation can begin with a plan. Cooking begins in the competition kitchen.
Recipe & Menu Presentation
Each team must prepare its menu and recipes in English.
The documentation should clearly identify the three courses and include the names of the dishes, ingredients and a brief description of the preparation methods.
The menu should be understandable to the international jury and clearly communicate the team's culinary concept. The general GastroErasmus regulations require two recipe copies, one for the technical jury and one for presentation.
Teams are encouraged to give their three-course menu a clear identity that reflects their inspiration, culinary philosophy, regional traditions or contemporary interpretation.
Professional Standards
All three competitors must enter the competition kitchen wearing clean and complete professional chef uniforms.
Professional hygiene standards apply throughout the entire competition. Hair must be fully covered, nails must be short and clean, jewellery is not permitted, and appropriate professional safety footwear must be worn.
The “Clean as you go” principle is especially important in SP1 because three students will be working simultaneously at the same competition station. Work surfaces must remain organised, ingredients must be handled safely, waste must be managed correctly and the station must be left completely clean at the end of the competition.
Judging & Scoring
The SP1 team performance will be evaluated on a maximum score of 100 points.
Mise-en-Place & Hygiene | 10 Points
The jury evaluates professional appearance, workstation organisation, food safety, cleanliness, prevention of cross-contamination and waste management.
Preparation & Workflow | 20 Points
Teams are evaluated on technical skills, equipment use, cooking techniques, organisation, division of responsibilities, workflow and efficient use of ingredients.
For SP1, particular attention will be given to how effectively the three students function together as a team.
Presentation | 30 Points
The Starter, Main Course and Dessert will be evaluated for visual appeal, colour harmony, plate cleanliness, appropriate portion sizes, creativity and professional restaurant presentation.
The jury will also consider whether the three courses form a visually and conceptually coherent menu.
Taste & Texture | 40 Points
Taste & Texture is the most heavily weighted element of the evaluation.
The jury will assess flavour balance, seasoning, serving temperature and texture across the complete menu.
A team must therefore deliver consistently across all three courses. One exceptional dish cannot completely compensate for significant weaknesses elsewhere in the menu.
The Best School Team Title
SP1 has a special position within GastroErasmus because the achievement represents the school as a whole, not only an individual competitor.
The highest-performing teams will be recognised during the official GastroErasmus 2027 Award Ceremony, with the leading school earning the title:
GASTROERASMUS 2027
BEST SCHOOL TEAM
This title has already become an important part of GastroErasmus. In the 2026 edition, the Best School competition recognised schools from the Netherlands, Slovakia and Estonia in the top three positions, demonstrating the international character of the category.
More Than a Team Competition
SP1 represents what professional gastronomy is really about.
A successful kitchen is never built around technical ability alone. It requires communication, trust, timing, discipline and teamwork.
Three students enter the competition kitchen representing the same institution. For 90 minutes, every decision they make affects the entire team.
They must trust each other.
They must communicate.
They must manage pressure.
They must solve problems together.
And they must deliver three courses as one team.
At the end, the award does not belong to one student.