Chef Luckson Mare is celebrating a major milestone in his culinary journey after securing a spot in the Grand Finale of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition, taking place on October 28 and 29 in Milan, Italy.
The global competition is known for discovering and nurturing the next generation of gastronomic talent, bringing together some of the world’s most skilled and creative young chefs.
Reflecting on the journey, Luckson says preparation has been as much mental as it is technical.
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking through my dish, not just cooking it, but really visualising it,” he explains. “I write everything down, read it, rewrite it and go through it again. It helps me understand every step, so that when I’m in the kitchen, nothing catches me off guard.”
His signature dish, Duck, Sweet Potato, Matugulu (Natal Coastal Plum), is deeply personal and rooted in his upbringing.
“It’s my story,” says Luckson. “I grew up in Pelham, Pietermaritzburg and started cooking when I was about eight or nine. Being the youngest of five, I was always helping my mom in the kitchen, peeling, chopping, tasting. That’s where it all started. Now I work with Chef Johannes every day and that story continues. When I cook this dish, I’m reminded of where I come from and what shaped me.”
While he hasn’t changed much about the dish, Luckson has been honing his technique ahead of the finals.
“I’ve been butchering a lot of duck, paying attention to every cut and what it does to the final result,” he says. “Even small tasks we do in service at The LivingRoom - like making mayo or working a roux, have become part of my training. I treat them as practice. It’s about staying sharp and ready for anything.”
Taking a dish so strongly tied to his roots all the way to Milan comes with unique challenges.
“At Summerhill, almost everything we use comes from within 150 kilometres, even the clay our ceramics are made from,” Luckson explains. “I’d love to bring everything with me to Milan, but that’s not realistic.”
One of the lessons that’s resonated most with Luckson is the importance of delegation and trust.
“I’ve always been someone who just gets things done myself,” he admits. “But Chef has taught me that part of growing is trusting others and giving them space to learn and take ownership. Delegating isn’t about having too much to do - it’s about teaching and creating opportunity.”
For Luckson, this moment is about more than competition, it’s about representation and inspiration.
“For a long time, it felt like opportunities like this only happened far away in Europe or the U.S. But now, someone from Durban, from Africa, is competing among the world’s best. If even one young chef sees this and thinks, ‘If he can do it, I can too,’ then it’s already a win. I’m not just representing myself, I’m representing this whole region.”
Saturday Star