Tasked with creating a starter and main course for a mainstream pub menu, entrants must use Tabasco pepper sauces in both dishes, which they will be required to cook at the live final in London, in March, if successful.

Assessed on flavour, creative use of at least one of the TABASCO pepper sauces and ease of service in a pub environment, the panel of judges includes: members from the Craft Guild of Chefs; TABASCO Brand’s corporate chef, Gary Evans; Stonegate Pubs’ executive chef Kevin Steppe and Flagship Europe’s development director Lee Tynan.

Judge and TABASCO Brand’s corporate chef, Gary Evans, said: “TABASCO pepper sauces offer more than just heat, they awaken and enliven the flavours in food, never masking them. The Hot Chef competition allows students at the start of their careers to experiment with the versatility of our sauces, we can’t wait to see what they come up with this year.”

The winning dish will feature on Stonegate pubs and restaurants’s menus across the UK, and also includes an all-expenses paid trip to Avery Island, Louisiana, for the chef, where – in 2018 - TABASCO^® Sauce has been made for 150 years by McIlhenny Company .

Executive vice president and fifth generation McIlhenny family member, Harold Osborn, said: “We are delighted to support the next generation of chef talent and help provide a platform for catering students to showcase their skills.

“These young chefs are the future of the culinary industry and the next generation of innovators and trend setters, their recipes will drive the broader food industry, as well as shaping the way consumers eat and think about food.”

Now in its sixth year, the Hot Chef Competition champions young, emerging chefs, who can apply by downloading the entry via: http://craftguildofchefs.org/competitions/177. 

Colleges taking part in the competition also have the opportunity to book a TABASCO^® Brand masterclass, which includes a two-hour inspirational workshop on how to cook using the brand’s sauces. To book, please email: [email protected]