GASTROERASMUS 2027 4th International Culinary Competition
Taste the Future, Cook Beyond Borders
20–23March 2027 | Manavgat, Antalya, Türkiye
Official Stay: 18/19 –24/25 March 2027
Europe’s Young Culinary Talents Meet Again
The journey continues.
Since its first edition in 2024, GastroErasmus has grown year after year, bringing together an expanding international community of vocational schools, young culinary talents, teachers, chefs and gastronomy professionals.
In 2027, GastroErasmus returns for its 4th International Culinary Competition.
From 20 to 23 March 2027, young culinary talents from across Europe will meet in Manavgat, Antalya, Türkiye, to compete, create, learn, discover different cultures and represent their schools and countries on an international stage.
GastroErasmus is more than a cooking competition.
It is an international educational experience where young people can demonstrate their vocational skills, experience a professional competition environment, meet their European peers, exchange cultures and create memories that will stay with them throughout their professional lives.
Applications for GastroErasmus 2027 are now open.
One Competition. Many Cultures. One Shared Passion.
GastroErasmus was created around one simple idea:
Food brings people together.
Every participating school brings its own traditions, techniques, flavours and culture.
Every student brings talent, ambition, passion and creativity.
When young people from different countries meet in the same kitchen, competition becomes an opportunity for learning, cultural exchange and international friendship.
This is the spirit of GastroErasmus.
Different countries.
Different cultures.
Different cuisines.
One shared passion.
GastroErasmus 2027 at a Glance
Competition:
4th GastroErasmus International Culinary Competition
Competition Dates:
20–23March 2027
Arrival / Hotel Check-in:
18/19March 2027
Departure / Hotel Check-out:
24/25 March 2027
Official Stay:
5/6 Nights
Location:
Manavgat, Antalya, Türkiye
Who Can Participate?
GastroErasmus 2027 is primarily designed for students studying at secondary and vocational schools in fields such as:
Culinary Arts • Gastronomy • Professional Cooking • Food & Beverage Services • Hospitality • Hotel & Restaurant Services • Catering • Pastry & Bakery and related vocational fields
Participating students (Age: min16 - max20) represent their schools and countries and attend the competition together with their accompanying teachers or mentors.
To ensure a high-quality competition experience, the number of participants from each school is limited.
Competition Categories
GastroErasmus 2027 will feature individual and team categories designed to evaluate professional skills, creativity, organisation, presentation and teamwork.
JP1 | Individual – Main Course
Students prepare and present a main course demonstrating professional technique, creativity, appropriate use of ingredients and presentation skills.
JP2 | Individual – Fish
Participants demonstrate their knowledge of fish preparation and cooking techniques while creating a balanced and professionally presented dish.
JP3 | Individual – Pasta
Young chefs combine culinary technique and creativity to prepare and present an original pasta dish.
JP4 | Dessert
Participants demonstrate their pastry and dessert-making skills by creating an original dessert that combines taste, technique, creativity, texture and professional presentation.
SP1 | Best School Team
Students work together to prepare a complete menu consisting of a starter, main course and dessert.
This category places particular emphasis on:
Teamwork • Communication • Organisation • Time Management • Technique • Taste • Presentation
SP2 | Black Box Challenge
ERA Alliance Black Box Challenge
No Recipe. No Preparation. Just Talent.
One of the most exciting experiences of GastroErasmus 2027 will be reserved exclusively for ERA Alliance member schools.
Participants will not know the main ingredients in advance.
The Black Box will be opened at the beginning of the competition.
From that moment, the clock starts.
Students must analyse the ingredients, develop their culinary concept and transform the available products into an original dish within the allocated competition time.
There is no prepared recipe.
There is no advance knowledge of the main ingredients.
There is only:
Knowledge.
Technique.
Creativity.
Decision-making.
Talent.
The winner will receive the special title:
ERA Alliance Black Box Champion 2027
Participation in the Black Box Challenge is available only to ERA Alliance member institutions.
International Jury
GastroErasmus 2027 will be evaluated by an international jury consisting of experienced chefs, culinary professionals, educators and gastronomy experts.
Depending on the competition category, evaluation criteria will include:
Taste
Technical Skills
Creativity
Presentation
Professional Organisation
Correct Use of Ingredients
Hygiene
Time Management
Teamwork
The members of the GastroErasmus 2027 International Jury will be announced soon.
Official Participation Package
One Package. One Price. The Full GastroErasmus Experience.
GastroErasmus 2027 introduces a fixed participation package designed to make international participation easier and more transparent for schools.
Instead of organising accommodation, meals, competition participation and cultural activities separately, participating institutions can access the entire official programme through one package.
All prices are per person and include the complete GastroErasmus 2027 Official Participation Package.
Standard Arrival: 19March 2027
*Early Arrival: 18 March 2027
*Departure: 24/25 March 2027
*Competition: 20–23 March 2027
One Package. One Price. One Complete GastroErasmus Experience.
Official GastroErasmus Welcome Kit
Every registered participant will receive an official GastroErasmus 2027 Welcome Kit, specially prepared to make their international competition experience even more memorable. The kit will include a selection of practical culinary items, GastroErasmus-branded accessories, accreditation materials and exclusive event souvenirs that participants can use during the competition and keep as a memory of GastroErasmus 2027. ERA Alliance members will receive additional member-exclusive items and special recognition, providing them with an enhanced GastroErasmus experience and highlighting their membership throughout the event.
Discover Manavgat & Side – Culture Beyond the Kitchen
GastroErasmus is not only about what happens inside the competition kitchen. International mobility is also about discovering the history, culture and natural heritage of the host destination. As part of the GastroErasmus 2027 Cultural Programme, participants will have the opportunity to explore some of the most remarkable attractions of Manavgat and Side. The programme will include a visit to the famous Manavgat Waterfall, one of the region’s best-known natural landmarks, where students and teachers can enjoy the natural beauty of Manavgat together with participants from across Europe. Participants will also discover the extraordinary archaeological heritage of Side through visits to Side Museum and the impressive Side Ancient Theatre, experiencing the history and atmosphere of one of the Mediterranean’s most important ancient cities. These cultural visits are included in the official GastroErasmus programme and provide participants with an opportunity to connect, socialise and experience the region beyond the competition.
Compete internationally. Discover locally. Connect culturally.
More Than a Competition
Students come to GastroErasmus to compete.
But we want them to leave with much more.
Participants will have the opportunity to:
Meet young people from different European countries.
Experience an international professional environment.
Communicate across languages and cultures.
Represent their school and country.
Demonstrate their vocational skills.
Discover different culinary approaches.
Develop professional confidence.
Learn to perform under pressure.
Explore Manavgat and Side.
Build international friendships.
Create memories that last.
For some students, GastroErasmus may be their first international professional experience.
We want it to be one they never forget.
Awards & Recognition
Outstanding performances will be celebrated during the official GastroErasmus 2027 Award Ceremony, where participants will have the opportunity to receive awards and recognition for their achievements across the official competition categories. ERA Alliance member institutions will also have access to exclusive competition opportunities and special awards, including the prestigious ERA Alliance Black Box Champion 2027 title. At GastroErasmus, however, achievement goes far beyond medals and trophies. Competing in an international kitchen, representing a school and country, demonstrating professional culinary skills under pressure, meeting young talents from across Europe and presenting a dish before an international jury are valuable experiences in themselves. Every participant leaves GastroErasmus with new skills, greater confidence, international experience and memories that can contribute to their future professional journey.
Why GastroErasmus?
GastroErasmus was created with a belief that young talent deserves more than a classroom. It deserves an international stage. It is a place where vocational education meets ambition, creativity meets professional excellence, and young people discover what they are capable of when they step beyond their borders.
Here, students do more than prepare a dish. They represent their schools, their countries and their culinary cultures. They work under pressure, demonstrate their skills before an international jury, exchange ideas with young chefs from across Europe and experience the excitement of being part of a truly international culinary community.
At GastroErasmus, competitors can become friends, teachers can become partners, and schools meeting for the first time can begin collaborations that continue long after the competition ends.
Because gastronomy has no borders. It is a universal language that brings people, cultures and generations together around the same table.
Are You Ready for GastroErasmus 2027?
The stage is being prepared.
The kitchens are getting ready.
The international jury will take their seats.
And Europe’s next generation of culinary talent will come together in Manavgat, Türkiye.
For four unforgettable days, young chefs from different countries will bring their skills, creativity, passion and culinary traditions to the same international stage.
There will be pressure. There will be creativity. There will be unforgettable dishes, new friendships, cultural discoveries and moments of celebration.
There will be winners.
But everyone who takes the challenge will leave with something greater than a medal: international experience, professional confidence and memories that will last far beyond the competition.
One stage. Many nations. A new generation of culinary talent.
The question is no longer who will be there.
Will your school be among them?
PRELIMINARY APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
Bring your students.
Represent your school.
Represent your country.
And become part of the GastroErasmus story.