Vietnam wins first silver at Global Chefs Challenge

Vietnam’s national culinary team secured its first silver medal at the global final of the Global Chefs Challenge 2026 in Wales, marking a milestone for the country’s professional culinary scene.

The global final took place from May 16 to May 19 at the International Convention Centre Wales in the United Kingdom, bringing together leading chefs from countries and territories around the world.

According to the official results, the Vietnam team scored 81.875 points, ranking eighth overall and earning a silver medal in the Global Chefs Challenge category, the competition’s most prestigious division for professional chefs under the Worldchefs system.

Vietnam was represented by chef Trinh Tuan Dung, assisted by Le Dac Minh Quan, under the guidance and professional coaching of Van Phu Phuong Dung.

All team members are affiliated with the Saigon Professional Chefs Guild, under the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, and are official members of the Vietnam Chefs Federation.

To reach the final in Wales, Vietnam advanced through a highly competitive qualification process. At the Asia regional qualifier in 2025, Vietnam finished among the top two teams alongside Singapore, outperforming 14 countries and more than 100 chefs to secure a place at the global final.

Vietnam’s first appearance in the Global Chefs Challenge final is seen as a significant achievement for the national team and reflects the growing recognition of Vietnamese chefs on the global professional culinary map.

In the final standings, Italy topped the rankings with 94.167 points to claim the gold medal. Denmark followed with 93.333 points, while Singapore placed third with 92.458 points. Alongside Vietnam, teams from the Netherlands, Mexico and host nation Wales also received silver medals.

The Global Chefs Challenge is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious international culinary competitions and is held as part of the Worldchefs Congress. National teams must pass regional qualifying rounds before advancing to the global final.

Contestants are judged on cooking techniques, creativity, time management, ingredient handling and food presentation in a professional competition environment.

This year’s competition featured 15 national and territorial teams, including Italy, Denmark, Singapore, Finland, the Netherlands, Mexico and Vietnam.