50 Next: Londoners named among global list of ‘young people shaping future of gastronomy’

A zero-waste chef, pioneering app developers and a duo who train prisoners up as baristas are among the Londoners named as part of a new list celebrating the “young people shaping the future of gastronomy”.

50 Next — a new initiative launched by the organisation behind two prestigious awards, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and the The World’s 50 Best Bars — features trailblazers aged 20 to 35, covering 34 countries across six continents.

There are 24 women, 19 men and seven groups on the unranked list, all of whom have been “identified as next-generation leaders in food and drink”, organisers say.

Douglas McMaster, the man behind waste-free restaurant Silo, is named as a “hospitality pioneer” for his work at the Hackney hotspot, as well as for the launch of his Zero Waste Cooking School.

Abby Rose, a former maths and physics teacher who splits her time between the capital and Maule in Chile, is included as a “tech disruptor” for her app that scans olive tree ID tags to establish frost damage and other data. She’s also developed tech for farmers to manage workers and monitor soil, and co-founded Farmerama Radio, to highlight the voices of small-scale farmers.

Elsewhere, there’s a shoutout for “empowering educator” Ted Rosner, a Londoner who, alongside university friend Max Dubiel, founded Redemption Roasters, which offers barista training classes to prisoners. They now have eight barista academies and five roasting facilities.

Jamie Crummie, who created the Too Good to Go app alongside the US-based Lucie Basch, is in the list thanks to the success of their venture, which allows users to collect unused food from restaurants, cafes, hotels and supermarkets. Crummie and Basch are named among the “trailblazing activists”.

William Drew, director of content for 50 Best, said: “As the world of gastronomy strives to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic, it is more important than ever for us to support, empower and celebrate those at every level of the food and drink chain.

“By bringing together this truly diverse list of young people with the support of the Basque Culinary Center, the Biscay region and the wider 50 Best family, we pledge to nurture, uplift and provide a platform for those fighting for a brighter future for gastronomy. 50 Next allows us to connect today’s leaders with the next generation.”

For the full list, visit theworlds50best.com.