On March 25, 2025, the first day of the Young Horeca Talents event took place in Brussels. The event aimed to inspire vocations within the hospitality industry, where participants of the “Gault&Millau Young Horeca Talents” project were recognized. EHTL of Diekirch was awarded two prizes.
Source: Press release
Three Missions: Challenges, Aspiration, and Innovation
Nine of the best hotel schools from Belgium and Luxembourg participated in this inaugural edition, with over 50 students giving their best while working on three missions: Challenges, Aspiration, and Innovation, which were judged together, and the six Creativity Challenges, which were judged separately.
This was the first time such an initiative had been launched, where students reflected on their training and future (Aspiration Prize), applied new restaurant concepts in their own school (Innovation Prize), and finally, created creative menus around key gastronomic themes (Creativity Prize).
For Gault&Millau, this is a warm call in favor of hospitality education, an essential training and talent pool for the hospitality sector, where many roles are considered to be in shortage. “As an active player in the sector, we are thinking about the future and therefore the next generation that will define our hospitality industry and continue to enrich our culinary heritage,” said Marc Declerck, CEO of Gault&Millau and initiator of the project. “And now more than ever, hotel schools need more attention and support to ensure the future of the hospitality industry. We are contributing to this project.”
Among more than 30 submissions evaluated by an internal and external jury consisting of top hospitality professionals, clear and encouraging conclusions were drawn.
Aspiration and Originality Awards for EHTL
From Luxembourg, it was the Diekirch School of Hospitality and Tourism that presented its “Young Talents.”
The third Aspiration & Innovation Challenge Prize 2025 was awarded (jointly) to Sint Jozef, Geel (Fabian and Rhüne), Institut Émile Gryzon, Anderlecht (Andriana, Isaac, Joshua, and Teofil), and EHTL Luxembourg (Marie, Alicia, Alisa, Adriana). The four students from the EHTL had to present their dreams, ambitions, and a “flavors of the world” restaurant concept.
EHTL also won the Originality Prize (student Leo). On the theme of desserts and fruits, young Leo presented a clever menu using AI to achieve the perfect presentation for his dessert.
Congratulations to the winners!
