Fysiuk secured the title with his signature dish, ‘Becoming, to this day…’, a pork dish of tenderloin glazed with elderberry and smoked pear, accompanied by cabbage, beetroot, apple and sauerkraut.
The win earns him a place at the competition’s Grand Finale in Milan in 2027, where he will compete against young chefs from around the world.
The UK regional final brought together 10 finalists, who presented their signature dishes to a judging panel comprising Emily Roux, Angelo Sato, Sally Abé, Will Murray, Chantelle Nicholson and Stuart Ralston. The competition took place at Le Cordon Bleu, with the winners announced at an awards dinner at 26 Leake Street in Waterloo.
Ahead of the Grand Finale, Fysiuk will work with mentor Tom Phillips, executive chef at two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Story, to refine his signature dish and prepare for the international competition.
“Winning the UK Regional Final is an incredible feeling, and I’m still trying to take it all in,” says Fysiuk.
“I’m hugely grateful to S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy for giving young chefs like me the opportunity to share our stories and cooking on such a brilliant platform.
“A massive thank you to my mentor, Tom Phillips, for his guidance and support throughout the competition, to the judges for recognising what I was trying to express through my dish and to SINO for their continued support and belief in me.
“My dish, Becoming, to this day…, is very personal to me. It’s about where I’ve come from, the experiences that have shaped me and how I continue to evolve as a chef.
“I wanted to take the traditions I grew up with and reinterpret them through everything I’ve learnt, while always showing respect for the ingredients.
“To have that story recognised means so much, and I can’t wait to represent the UK in Milan next year.”
Three further awards were presented at the regional final, recognising chefs across sustainability, culinary heritage and personal expression.
Benedict Shimwell won the S.Pellegrino for Social Responsibility Award for his dish, ‘Wild Boar, Apples and Beer’. Selected by the Sustainable Restaurant Association, the award recognises chefs who demonstrate sustainable practices through their signature dishes.
Lesley Serrao received both the Acqua Panna Connection in Gastronomy Award and the Fine Dining Lovers Award for ‘A Sunday at Veronica’s’. The former, selected by the competition’s mentors, recognises the connection between tradition and modernity in a chef’s culinary approach. The latter, selected by journalists and industry experts from the Fine Dining Lovers network, recognises the chef who best expresses their personal beliefs through their signature dish.
The awards dinner was hosted by Jesse Burgess, co-founder of TOPJAW and presenter of Apple TV+’s Knife Edge. Dinner was prepared by Ben Miller, a former S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy UK finalist who is now head chef at Alex Dilling’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant at Hotel Café Royal.