Following the success of last year’s format, the winners of young chef competitions from the British Culinary Federation, the Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence, World Skills UK and the Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards will automatically be seeded a place in the final.

The remaining four will be made up of the winners of two semi-finals to which up to 20 young chefs from industry-wide competitions will be invited to compete. These include Young Welsh Chef of the Year, Young Scottish Chef of the year, Chaine des Rotisseurs Young Chef, Young Game Chef of the Year, Young Grampian Chef of the Year, Young North East Chef of the Year, Young North West Chef of the Year and South West Young Chef of the Year.

The semi-finals are to be held at Sheffield College on June 10, and at Le Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London on June 25 to coincide with the National Chef of the Year semi-finals.

“The standard of last year’s competition was fantastic and the judges were blown away by the skills demonstrated by the finalists,” says competition organiser and Craft Guild vice president David Mulcahy. “It’s inspiring to see these youngsters competing at this level and I can't wait to see this year's talent.”

Ben Champkin from The Elephant in Torquay, who won the title in 2013, says that winning was a career highlight. “The experience of taking part is something that I’ll never forget and I’d recommend it to any chef serious about competitive cooking. It’s both a stepping stone to senior competitions and a great confidence boost.”

As well as national acclaim, the winner will receive a package of prizes, including the chance to take part in study trips. For example, Champkin will be heading off to Scotland this spring where he will undertake a range of industry experiences.

“By encouraging young chefs to test their skills in such a challenging environment, we can instill confidence and raise the bar on British cooking for years to come,” comments Unilever’s category marketing director Stefan Horsnell. “At Knorr we are proud to support such an excellent and worthwhile competition.”

This year’s winner will be revealed along with the National Chef of the Year at an awards ceremony following the Restaurant Show on October 7.

For more information visitwww.craftguildofchefs.org, contact Clair Bowman on 01293 610329 or follow @TNCOTY #YNCOTY on Twitter.