International Chefs Day 2025 — Cooking for Today, Inspiring for Tomorrow

This year’s International Chefs Day came with a theme that speaks to everyone: “Food Explorers.”

An idea that brings us back to the beginning — to the childlike curiosity that first made us fall in love with food.

A Day Beyond the Kitchen

The modern chef does much more than cook.

He leads, teaches, inspires.

He guides teams and guests alike to look at food with awareness — to see it as something alive, full of meaning, connected to people and nature.

Food has the power to gather, to heal, to teach.

That’s why this day is special: it reminds us that behind every dish there’s a story, and that story begins with respect.

At the Resort: Where Learning Begins

At a resort in the Maldives, the kitchen led by Chef Cristian Marino looked a little different this October 20.

Instead of quiet concentration before service, there was laughter, color, and the sweet scent of vanilla in the air.

Alongside new dishes for the buffet, Marino and his team organized something for the youngest guests — a cupcake-decorating class that quickly turned into an unexpected lesson.

The children mixed, tasted, decorated, and laughed, learning through play what it means to create something with their own hands.

During the class, the chefs also invited them to think about food differently — to see that even when something is sweet, balance matters.

They talked about colors, textures, and ingredients, showing that creativity in the kitchen can go hand in hand with awareness.

Some of the little ones proudly brought their cupcakes to their parents, explaining every detail of what they had done — a small but meaningful proof that curiosity can become learning when guided with patience.

By the end, the table was covered in bright colors and sprinkles, yet what really remained was the joy of discovery and the idea that food can teach values, not just flavors.

A Modern Kitchen Is Also a Classroom

For Marino, that’s what the kitchen has become over the years — a place to teach and learn, not just to cook.

Leadership now means patience, empathy, and a steady example.

Young chefs watch, imitate, and slowly find their own rhythm.

The best results come from collaboration, not pressure.

When a kitchen team works with purpose and mutual respect, every dish carries a different energy.

It’s the quiet power of teamwork that guests can taste without ever seeing it.

A Global Celebration

Across the world, chefs marked this day in their own way: with workshops for kids, special menus, or small community events.

Each gesture — no matter how simple — carried the same message: that food is culture, knowledge, and love shared at the table.

International Chefs Day isn’t just about chefs.

It’s about everyone who believes that cooking can make the world a little more human.

Cooking for Today, Inspiring for Tomorrow

Chef Cristian Marino’s story embodies the spirit of this celebration.

His philosophy — rooted in leadership, curiosity, and respect — shows that the future of cuisine depends on education and awareness as much as on skill.

In a world that moves too quickly, the kitchen remains a place of truth — where time slows down and passion still has a taste.

That’s why this day matters.

Because cooking for today means inspiring for tomorrow.

And as this celebration closes, one thought remains clear: food is never just food.

It’s care, culture, and connection — a universal language that continues to bring people together, one meal at a time.

Happy International Chefs Day 2025 from the Maldives — to every chef, in every kitchen, around the world.

Today we celebrate the craft, the courage, and the love behind every dish.