Read our new interesting blog - an interview with our chef Andrej Róth about the GLOBAL CHEFS CHALLENGE competition, which took place in Rimini, Italy, where I competed against chefs and cooks from 18 European countries. We advanced to the world finals of the prestigious GLOBAL CHEFS CHALLENGE!

Where did the competition take place and what did your team look like Andrej?

I competed on 17.2. 2025 in the main senior category against representatives from 18 European countries. My team consists of Me - Andrej Róth @andrej.roth and Alex Beer @beer.alex_ and our mentor and captain Jozef Hromjak @jozefjakhrom from the National Chefs Team of Slovakia! Proud to say that as a chef from @residencehoteldonovaly, with the help of commis, @hotelkake student, Alex Beer from @villasandyresort , I was able to showcase this extraordinary feat.

The GLOBAL CHEFS CHALLENGE competition took place in Rimini, Italy, where I took on chefs and cooks from countries across Europe, it was challenging, full of adrenaline and excitement, but again it gave me new experiences, knowledge and skills and new perspectives.

What kind of dishes did you prepare?

We had a fixed theme or main ingredients for this competition, which was to use Greenland halibut in the starter, where the starter could be cold, hot or a combination of hot and cold, but where the rule that at least 50% of the dish must be hot must be strictly followed.

I prepared the Halibut Gronski fish in three textures and in whole muscle, I prepared fish flan from the trim and scallops and fish sauce from the fish bones and crayfish, plus there was added caviar to complement the textures and flavors and also as an edible garnish, the side dish was Jerusalem artichoke (topinabur) in several textures. In the main course, I had to use veal loin and calf's liver as the supporting ingredients. I prepared the veal loin using the sous vide method wrapped in pork cap seasoned with various spices and fresh herbs from the liver I prepared a pate and the side dishes were, pea puree with herbs, stuffed marinated shallots, buckwheat tartlet stuffed with a royal oyster mushroom ragout, I also used buckwheat pancakes and the whole thing was accompanied by veal demi glace.

More than the looks and textures, I was just more concerned with the taste of my competition dishes, and the main reason for this is that the taste rating can earn a competitor exactly half of the overall score.

How did you prepare for the competition?

As far as my preparation is concerned, I prepared mainly in my home kitchen at the Residence Hotel **** and I had a couple of training sessions in Košice under the supervision of our captain Jozef Hromjak.

I am very glad that the interest in our hotel has expanded just for the tasting dinners, where I could conscientiously practice all the procedures, textures and flavors of my competition dishes.

Did you manage to take the winning places?

"My team won second place in the Central Europe region, which secured my and Slovakia's qualification for the Global Chefs Challenge World Finals!"

By coming second and winning silver, I and my commi Alex Beer will be going to the World Finals in Wales in May 2026. I already know how challenging it will be, not only in terms of preparation, but also because I will be in the cooking ring against the best chefs and cooks from all over the world who have qualified as I have. According to my information, we should have up to 40 teams fighting against each other. But I'm really looking forward to this event and especially the opportunity. I am happy not only because of my personal success, but also because I represent the hotel where I work and especially the whole of Slovakia, which is gaining a stable name on the gastronomic map of the world in this way.

For the FIRST TIME IN HISTORY I will represent Slovakia at the world final of the elite culinary competition Global Chefs Challenge!