Finland national round

Bocuse d’Or Finland National Selection and the Chef & Waiter of the Year Semifinals – A Unique Culinary Event

Bocuse d’Or Academy Finland, together with the Chef of the Year and Waiter of the Year competitions, has launched a collaboration to streamline the selection process for Finland’s top culinary professionals. The goal of this joint event is to strengthen Finnish food culture, increase visibility for the industry, and create a clear competitive path for professionals aiming for international success.

Bocuse d’Or is the world’s most prestigious culinary competition, while Chef of the Year and Waiter of the Year are the Finnish National Championships for restaurant professionals. This year, the Bocuse d’Or Finland qualifiers and the Chef & Waiter of the Year semifinals will take place on consecutive days, May 27–28, at Logomo in Turku. By combining these events, the organizers aim to offer a unique opportunity to experience Finnish food culture up close and showcase world-class craftsmanship to a broad audience. The increased visibility and wider reach of the event will help strengthen the restaurant industry’s appeal and vitality, supporting the shared mission of all these competitions.

The Finnish team for the 2025–2027 season consists of: Johan Kurkela as candidate, Niilo Suominen as commis (assistant) and Mikko Kaukonen as coach.

The national selection took place on May 28, 2025, at Logomo in Turku, where three candidates competed over five and a half hours.

Kurkela’s team won the national selection with 957 points. Mikko Pakola placed second with 871 points, and Niko Tähti third with 818 points.

“It was an impressive and high-level competition. All the dishes were very different and of excellent quality. The winner still stood out clearly, even though the task was fairly straightforward,” said Tommi Tuominen, President of the Bocuse d’Or Academy Finland.

“The competition ran smoothly, with no major issues. All teams kept to the schedule and the atmosphere in the kitchens was great. The overall standard was extremely high,” added Filip Langhoff, Director of the Finnish Bocuse d’Or national selection.

Preparation for the European Selections Begins
Training for Kurkela, Suominen, and Kaukonen will begin in autumn 2025 in preparation for the European Bocuse d’Or competition in spring 2026.
The top 10 teams from the European selections will qualify for the world final in Lyon, France in 2027.