A Culinary Competition Jumpstarts Catering Education

Chairman Douglas Tong Hsu once started that "Dinning itself is a moveable feast, enough for us to acquire the wisdom and energy of life!"

With this in mind, the Far Eastern Group hosted the first Top Telent for New Life culinary competition in 2007. The competition is held jointly by Far Eastern SOGO Department Stores, the SOGO New Life Foundation , and the Far Eastern Memorial Foundation.

This high-profile culinary competition for students and catering professionals has an unprecedented prize pool of one million NT dollars. Like other international culinary competitions, the contest is carried out in full view, with equal emphasis on the kitchen, the table, culinary skills, and service. The competition is a test of contestants' resilience and the teams' problem-splving skills. A panel of experts uses the highest standards to judge the taste and presentation of the dishes in addition to hygiene and other important culinary skills.

The competition takes its theme from domestic and international dietary or social trends, and each year, this iconic event attracts a new field of young culinary telent. So far, it has helped bring more than 2,000 talented young people into the culiary field, winning it the moniker of the "Academy Awards of the Culinary Industry"

Zhen Tsai finally receiving a championship trophy from Chairman Douglas Tong Hsu at the 7th Top Talent for New Life culinary competition after participating for the fifth time.

In 2018, the competition saw a change in its regulations to meet the latest dietary trends and to help develop a more diverse selection of all-round catering leaders with excellent communication skills. The revamped competition was dubbed "Top Telent for New Life 2.0."

As Chairman Douglas Tong Hsu pointed out in the awards ceremony, "The competition results are not the most important thing. What's important is that we need to step forth onto the global stage." The Top Talent for New Life competition is dedicated to increasing the competitiveness of Taiwan's catering industry and to leading young talent in Taiwan to stand on the shoulders of giants to see higher and farther, and make a place for themselves in the global community.