Rolling Pin Convention

20-year-old from Carinthia cooks his way to victory!

Thomas Hohenwarter (20) is the "young wild one".(Bild: Martin Hofmann)

He was the youngest participant and came first with his skills in the "Die jungen Wilden" gastro competition. 

Thomas Hohenwarter had already qualified for the national championships with a gold medal at Junior Skills Carinthia, where he won gold again. And now the man from Gailtal has achieved another goal. At the Rolling Pin Convention "Die jungen Wilden", the 20-year-old, and therefore the youngest participant in the history of the competition in Graz, took first place with his culinary creations.

However, the Gailtal native, who comes from a family of restaurateurs, first had to prove himself. "Only six participants were selected from 2,000 applicants to make it to the preliminary final in Hanover," explains the passionate chef, who is currently treating guests to his dishes at the Neusacherhof on Lake Weissensee.

I can't believe it. Winning means so much to me! It's a huge springboard for my career.

Thomas Hohenwarter

The young Carinthian has really worked hard for it. "My girlfriend Sanja and my boss Stefan Glantschnig gave me a lot of support." The biggest challenges in the competition? Hohenwarter: "Only one hour of preparation time for three dishes, but the cooking time of just four hours was also intense."

The young Carinthian has big plans
Many doors are now open to Hohenwarter. "I want to gain experience, get to know other countries and their cuisine, work in local restaurants, become a chef, climb the career ladder and inspire others for this job," says the motivated Gailter.