Madeira Students Triumph at Nutrichefe Culinary Contest

On March 12, 2026, the prestigious Nutrichefe culinary contest saw students from Madeira showcase their culinary skills. The event, which was held at the Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo da Madeira, is an annual competition aimed at secondary and vocational students to promote healthy and sustainable eating habits.

This year's first prize was awarded to Lara Jesus and Núria Camacho from Jaime Moniz Secondary School. Their winning dish, 'arroz caldoso de atum', was lauded for its technical quality and nutritional balance. The duo outperformed teams from the Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo da Madeira, including José Pedro and Simão Ornelas, who took second place, and Francisco Cruz and Mateus Vasconcelos, who secured third place.

The competition didn't just stop at awarding the top three spots. Special awards were given to Alexandre Faria and Iara Sousa for Innovation and Creativity; Mariana Gouveia and Beatriz Mendes for Gastronomic Merit; and Angelina Pedraza and Luciana Abreu for the Nutrichefe Revelation Award.

The event was graced by the presence of João Costa e Silva, the Regional Director of Education, and representatives from partner entities such as the Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo da Madeira and ARDITI, through the AQUAFISH0.0 project. Their involvement highlights the importance of integrating education with health and science to advocate for sustainable and healthy eating.

Nutrichefe forms part of the broader initiative of Food Education, which values regional products and aims to combat food waste, with a particular focus on the complete utilization of fish.

The judging panel comprised experts from gastronomy, nutrition, and research fields, ensuring a rigorous and multidisciplinary evaluation process. Among the judges were Basílio Rodrigues, head chef at Hotel Vila Galé Santa Cruz, and Marcelino Rodrigues, representing the academic and scientific community.

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