The Estonian Chefs Association (ECA – Eesti Peakokkade Ühendus) was founded in the year 2000 in Tallinn by chefs who were ambitious and wanted to improve their culinary skills. Also, they wanted to establish contacts with other chefs from other countries. The ECA acts on a voluntary basis, its activities being supported by numerous firms having to do with either catering or food processing industry.

 

The ECA is a non-governmental organization with 61 members from all over Estonia. The truth however is, that most of them are from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. One of the main goals to the next year is to increase membership from other parts of Estonia. Also ECA co-operates with the state vocational training organizations, contributes to vocational education and participates in qualification boards of specialized schools.

 

As a matter of fact, the practical activities of ECA started long before the legal registration. Mostly the same initiative group has been organizing Chef of the Year competition for more than ten years already. ECA organizes the official professional contest during the annual Food Fest in order to improve Estonian kitchen and food culture and to promote the profession. The contest is extremely popular and always attracts a lot of both audience and participants. After the preliminary rounds only 7 candidates will be admitted to final contest to apply the honorable title Chef of the Year. Starting from this year, ECA started also the Young Chef of the Year competition for vocational training schools.

 

Competition always ends with the Chefs Gala during what the winner will be announced. The food will be made from the same ingredients what the contestants use during the competition, but the previous Chefs of the Year winners will prepare the food. Chefs Gala has been a highlight of the year and the tickets for that has been sold long before the event itself.