For the first time in the nearly one-and-a-half-decade history of the Gundel Art Prize, a chef has been honoured: Zoltán Endrédi, head chef at the Márga bistro in Csopak, was awarded the Gundel Prize for Young Chefs in 2015.

In 2015, Gundel Restaurant presented its special gastronomic art award for the first time, with the aim of recognising and supporting young, talented but as yet unknown chefs. This year, the focus was on the restaurants and catering establishments around Lake Balaton, which are undergoing a spectacular and dynamic revival, and on young chefs under the age of 35, from among whom the most deserving recipient of the award was sought. Alongside permanent board member Lázár Kovács, Kálmán Kalla – a highly respected, to assist in selecting the young talents and awarding the prize, which is a tremendous honour for the dynamically developing and revitalising gastronomy of the Balaton region.

The the other day at the awards ceremony  Endrédi Chef Zoltán received the Gundel Prize for Young Chefs. „ This award is a tremendous honour for me; I cannot begin to describe how much it inspires and uplifts me. It feels wonderful to have one’s work recognised, and I believe this can be a truly powerful source of motivation for young people. ”I’d also like to congratulate the other award winners. Here at Márga, we’ll strive to be even better in the future, to develop and learn, and to continue doing our bit to promote gastronomy around Lake Balaton.” he said as he accepted the award.

Zoltán Endrédi’s contact details: 

  He began his catering studies in Veszprém in 1997; from 2002, he worked as a sous chef for ten years at the Chianti restaurant in Veszprém, From 2012, he was a chef at the Hotel Marina Port in Balatonkenese; from 2013, he was head chef at the Szent Donát Winery restaurant; and from 2014, he has been head chef at the Márga bistro.   

“During my nearly 15 years of professional experience, I have learnt that this profession demands complete attention, concentration and dedication. It requires continuous learning, development and self-improvement. Gastronomy is evolving at a rapid pace: day by day, week by week, we are discovering new cooking techniques and trends. My colleagues and I are working to pass all of this on to our valued guests to the best of our ability.” – says the young Gundel Award-winning chef.

About the history of the award:

The Gundel Art Prize was established in the spring of the year 2000 by the management of Gundel Restaurant. The first awards ceremony took place in May 2001; initially, prizes were awarded in 10 categories, rising to 14 in subsequent years, honouring the best in various artistic disciplines. Both the press and the arts community honoured the founders’ intentions with even greater warmth and recognition than had been anticipated. In 2005, Gundel reorganised the board of trustees and the award selection process. It was at this time that Miklós Szinetár (recipient of the Kossuth Prize and two-time winner of the Jászai Mari Prize, an opera, television and film director, and a Meritorious Artist and Distinguished Artist of the Republic of Hungary) became its chairman. The aim of the Gundel Arts Prize is to ensure that young, talented winners, selected from among nominees at higher education institutions specialising in the arts, are given as many opportunities as possible to launch their careers as prize holders. This year, the categories were expanded, and a special prize for gastronomic art was awarded for the first time. In 2015, the focus was on the hospitality sector around Lake Balaton, which will naturally be followed by other areas in the future.