The Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year

View the criteria and task below prior to starting your entry to understand the full brief of this year's competition.

How to Enter Help

Before entering we recommend you read this 'how to enter' document. It may even be a good idea to print it off so you can reference it if needed while working on your entry. Click here to download.

Criteria and Task

The National Chef of the Year criteria will focus on demonstrating excellent culinary skills across all disciplines, the creative use of local and global sustainable ingredients and the avoidance of any unnecessary food waste.

You should continue to celebrate and support excellent food producers through your competition entry, showcasing both simple and high-quality ingredients, elevating them to produce excellent dishes for your menu entry.

We invite professional chefs from all ethnic and gender backgrounds to submit an entry to one of the UKs longest running and most prestigious competitions.

There are no barriers to entry and celebrating our rich culture and culinary heritage is done best when reflected by the diversity within the hospitality industry.

The Task

Competitors are required to produce a three (3) course menu for 4 covers within three (3) hours based on the overarching theme of ‘Our Sustainable Future’

NOTE:

• Menus should reflect the season in which they will be cooked. 
• Successful candidates will be required to cook their original menus in October 2026
• Chefs are encouraged to use their own interpretation and innovation within the menu guidelines. 
• Seasonal and technical changes and amendments will be allowed once finalists are announced.

Focus on:

• Excellent skills, knowledge, and culinary techniques
• Simplicity and use of ingredients to demonstrate waste reduction (eg utilising whole items)
• Focus on sustainability, seasonality, innovation, marriage and balance of flavours.
• Dishes should use ingredients that are naturally harmonious and belong together.
• Focus on complexity of flavours.

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Starter Course: 

A celebration of seasonal autumn produce – foraged and farmed mushrooms, vegetables and herbs married with Isle of Mull scallops.
Celebrate the best of British to create a starter dish which should include an Isle of Mull Scallops element to create a perfect marriage of flavour, texture and taste. 
Sponsored Ingredients: Scallops in shell 
All other ingredients: supplied by competitor

Judges will focus on:

• Technical skill and flavour to deliver an elegant start to a 3-course menu. 
• Utilisation of the fresh ingredients within the dish. ie. skills used, unnecessary waste, sourcing, provenance, sustainability of ingredients used.

Sponsored Ingredients: Scallops in shell 
All other ingredients: supplied by competitor

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Main Course:

A Beef dish choosing from 1 cut of either Fillet, Sirloin or Ribeye served with veal sweetbreads suitably garnished and capable of being cooked and served within the 3 hour period. Primary Cut: Fillet, Sirloin, Ribeye - prepared, cooked on the day 
Secondary Cut: Veal sweetbread - Finished and cooked on the day

• Dish to include either beef fillet, sirloin or ribeye with your secondary element of Veal sweetbread. 
• The dish to include Kuri squash as a main garnish.
• A potato dish to be served on the side – An additional pre-braised beef element can be used here also, at your discretion. The dish should be fully garnished and include a sauce.

Notes:

• Judges will want to see how the protein element is elevated using relevant complementary and seasonal ingredients, flavours, textures and techniques. 
• No unnecessary prior preparation is permitted unless stated. All prime cooking on the day. 
• Elements such as cleaning and basic prior preparation of beef and veal is permitted.   
• Other elements eg braised beef item in potato garnish is permitted.
• We welcome all national and international cuisines to create a delicious main course. 
• Prepared stocks and Jus – where used must be from the Essential Cuisine ranges. For further details on Essential Cuisine’s range of products click here.

Sponsored Ingredients: 

• Australian Angus Pure - Beef Fillet, Sirloin, Ribeye 
• Additional sponsored braising options (Short rib, Brisket, Cheek)
  

Note: (relevant once finalists are announced)

• Full details and information on any further sponsored product provided will be shared once the 10 successful finalists are announced later in the process.
• Successful finalists will have the opportunity to adapt dishes and garnishes accordingly.

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Dessert:

A Chocolate Finale

Competitors are required to produce a brilliantly executed, delicious chocolate mille-feuille dessert with a seasonal fruit. The finished dessert is to be individually plated, fully garnished and presented to the competitors choice. 
This is an opportunity to create a grand finale to a menu that demonstrates balance, visual appeal, personal innovation and great flavour.

• A fresh puff pastry can be premade but not rolled.
• Stocks, custard and sorbet bases can be premade.

Judges Notes: 

• Competitors must showcase best use of the flavours of Valrhona Grand Cru chocolate within the dessert.   
• Successful finalists will be required to provide evidence (photo/video) of puff pastry production prior to the final. (details will be shared once finalists announced)
  
• Consider all elements to create a perfect marriage and balance of dessert. 
• While based around a classic dish, competitors are free to personalise the dish to showcase their own innovation. 
• Judges will be looking for an inspiring dessert to complement the menu.

Sponsored product: 
Valrhona Chocolate, premier cru range. 
St Ewe Eggs

Please click here to view a List of Valrhona Chocolate.

For more information on each Valrhona chocolate variety, please click on the product you wish to learn about:

Dark Chocolate: 

• EQUATEUR 80%
• GHANA 80%
• MADAGASCAR 80%
• REP DOM 80%
• GUANAJA 70%
• MANJARI 64%

Gourmet Chocolate:

• CARAMELIA 36%
• DULCEY 35%
• IVOIRE 35%
• OPALYS 33%

Inspiration Chcocolate:

• INSPIRATION FRAISE
• INSPIRATION FRAMBOISE
• INSPIRATION YUZU
• INSPIRATION MATCHA

Milk Chocolate:

• HUKAMBI 53%
• JIVARA 40%
• SIOKA 56%

Entry Guidelines

Competitors should pay particular attention to:

• Technical skills, Taste & Flavour – a strong focus for judges
• Seasonality (successful finalists will be able to adapt for seasonal changes)
• Sourcing & Provenance (global and local)
• Overall Menu Balance
• Wastage – (avoid unnecessary waste, utilise whole ingredient)
• Adherence to criteria
• Mise en Place allowed

Timing – menu must be capable of being prepared, cooked and served within a 3 HOUR TIMEFRAME

Mise en Place allowed:
Unless stated in the criteria for each dish, no preparation is permitted other than:

• Weighed ingredients
• Peeled, not prepared fruit and vegetables
• Basic stocks and sauces 
• Puff pastry, filo pastry 
• Egg custards (not set) and batters
• Marinated meats or fish (where appropriate)
• Marinated, preserved, dehydrated or fermented fruit or vegetable garnishes

Sponsor Ingredients: 
Note where sponsors are supporting food and non-food items, this will become clear once finalists are announced and at the mentor day.

Please Note:

Dish Photography: seasonal variations will be allowed for the purposes of photographs accompanying competition entries.

40 semi-finalists will be selected from the initial entry stage. These will be announced Wednesday 27th May.

Semi-Finalist Cookoff: 
Chefs will be invited to a cookoff (a separate 2 course menu criteria will be shared with successful semi-finalists. Details will be given to all semi-finalists by Friday 29th May.

10 highest ranked chefs will be selected as finalists and will be required to cook their original entry on Tuesday 6th October at Le Cordon Bleu. Full Details of the cookoff facilities will be shared in due course. 
Unless otherwise stated, competitors are required to supply all food and specialist equipment. Competitors should be aware that cook off for finals will be on Tuesday 6th October and should consider seasonal changes accordingly. Successful finalists will be permitted to make seasonal changes closer to the final in accordance to the rules.

Dates to note:

Closing date for receipt of preliminary entries: Tuesday 7th April.

Announcement of the semi-finalists: Wednesday 27th May.

Semi Finals: 
Weds 24th June - Sheffield College, Weds 24th June (2 heats of 10 chefs) 
Weds 1st July - Capital City College, London (formally Westminster College) (2 heats of 10 chefs)

Semi Finalist Event & Announcement of Finalists: 
Mid July date tbc – London Venue

Finalist Networking Afternoon/ Evening:
Monday 7th September

Finalist Mentor Event:
Tuesday 8th September

Grand Final 
Tuesday 6th October, Le Cordon Bleu, London

Premiere Awards Celebration: 
Tuesday 6th October, London

Wishing you the very best of luck with your application. Results of the preliminary entries will be announced on Wednesday 27th May.

Don’t forget to follow The National Chef of the Year on Instagram @craftguildofchefs #ncoty