About us

Established in 1885 under its former name of the Cookery and Food Association, the Craft Guild of Chefs has developed into the leading Chefs’ Association in the UK and has many members worldwide.

Our members come from all aspects of the foodservice and hospitality sectors working in a wide variety of positions from students and trainees to top management. No other association boasts such a broad and experienced membership.

Craft Guild of Chefs Strategic Plan 2024

Message from the Chairman - Mark Reynolds 

Inspiring Creative Innovative Engaging with Impact:  

I am delighted to present our strategic plan for The Craft Guild of Chefs. It is our plan to respond to many of the changing challenges our industry faces in the forthcoming years as the industry undergoes radical changes in staffing, recruitment and new technology. We are an organisation that is committed to widen its membership, to encourage and engage all sectors of the industry. From the outset we embrace new ideas and remain flexible and adaptable to change working closely, with our members and business partners to create opportunities for all our stakeholders. A spirit of innovation therefore sits at the heart of our plan as we aim to support all members and especially our business partners nationally. Above all we aim to inspire young people to become members, inspiring them to develop their careers to become innovative and creative professionals, connecting them to our business partners and employers, to enhance their career prospects.

Message from the Chief Executive – Andrew Green:

For an industry that brings so much into the UK in the form of GDP we understand the role of Hospitality professionals and the important part that all play. We want, and need, to engage with all Chefs from each different sector ensuring that we are the leaders and the one to come to. Each sector, each Business Partner and each member has an important part to play in the Craft Guild, all offer up something different and all so valuable in their own way. With constantly changing times within the industry, the skills shortage and challenges within the education of the next generation, there is no better time for us all to pull together as one.

From a position of Strength:

The Craft Guild is the leading professional body for Chefs in the UK with over 1200 members and 101 business partners. Crafting this plan has been an undertaking involving the management committee and Vice Presidents. Therefore, this plan has been constructed from a position of strength, it builds on the many successes, product endorsement, College and training accreditation, apprentiships, graduate awards, competitions, Industry awards, while continuing to focus on our mission statement:

“A body of professional Chefs committed to the advancement of useful knowledge and skills to support the industry and wider community.   Where culinary knowledge has status is valued and respected. “

We firmly believe that Chefs should have a clear voice, a right to enhancement of their career development, the right to inclusion in decision making in industry, education and training.

The Craft Guild is currently in a very good financial shape and is able to flourish. Nevertheless, in a changing economic climate, and the exit from the European Union, this may become more difficult.   However, the management team are committed to work more closely with all members and the industry, embrace the rise of new technologies and recognise the power of social media. Our members have an extensive record  of working with industry and business partners, providing opportunities and recognition for young chefs  which both provides value for money  for the sponsors, providing a real return on the investment  while at the same time providing invaluable experience  and learning opportunities for young chefs, educating them to work  and apply for positions in a variety of industry sectors. This learning is world class and often industry and professional driven. Such opportunities offered by the Guild recognises their skills and cultural strengths, expands their horizons and helps them adapt to a fast-changing industry.

Many Business Partners recognise and understand the benefits that being associated the Craft Guild brings, and cooperation and partnerships have never been stronger.  In the coming years it is the intention of the Craft Guild to develop these relationships further to bring new levels of innovation, cooperation and business activity aimed at improving the quality of products, resources and member benefits.

The Vision:

To inspire chefs to want to become members as innovative and creative professionals, connecting with all sectors of industry, establishing rewarding careers.

Vision:

• To be Professional Chef focussed
• Professionally engaged working with industry, colleges, managers and fellow chefs
• Modern and dynamic in approach when dealing with industry and suppliers
• Providing a quality service to members
• Accessible - inclusive and not exclusive, the come to association
• Affordable Membership
• Transparent - working together as one, sharing best practice and information
• Accountable – to stakeholders, committee, Vice Presidents, Trustees and members
• At the very heart of this plan is a series of commitments which will form the bond between the Craft Guild, CEO, Chairman, members, Partners and all Stakeholders. The Strategic drivers are shaped by:

What we do well:

• Competitions – National Chef of the Year, Wessex, Young National Chef of the Year, regional/national salons, Major series
• Awards dinner
• Graduate Awards
• College, Training Accreditation
• Product Endorsement
• Working with Business Partners
• Development lunches
• Financially sustainable
• Voice for Professional Chefs

What we could do better:

• Succession planning
• Improve member benefits, help with a range of legal issues and advice
• Assisting with CV development
• Creating learning opportunities through a professional development programme – Master Classes, CPD
• Develop a Global Network
• Being an engine for innovation  
• Better represented on educational forums – IOH, People First, City & Guilds etc
• Engaging Vice Presidents, establishing a formal recorded reporting line
• Provide a national forum for student and young chef debate – under 30’s
• Provide a comprehensive programme of professional development for members
• Promote product endorsement
• Establish a quality awards system for hospitality and retail products
• Restructure the organisation to become more transparent and accountable – re-visit the structure of the VP’s
• Re-look at our rules and regulations and ensure that these meet our needs and are relevant to today’s market

Key Performance Indicators by 2024:

• Numbers of members, aim to increase by 20%
• Number of member benefits increase by 10%
• Number of Business Partners increase by 10%
• Number of office staff to be reviewed
• Staff costs X % of revenue
• Number of Competitions, to do no less than 6 per year
• Number of College Accreditations, aim to have no less than 10
• Number of Training Provider Accreditations, aim to have 4
• Number of International Partners
• Financial Surplus YOY
• Our own kite mark

Increase of Standards

To increase standards of professional cooking through greater awareness, education and training

Develop Careers

To develop careers and prospects of our members

Develop Knowledge

To help members develop and maintain their knowledge, skills and ability

Promote Craft Skills

To promote and participate in all levels of craft skills competitions in the UK and internationally

Industry Recognition

To work with industry, education and the media to win greater recognition for chefs and their profession

Promote and Innovate

To endorse and promote the use of British and European produce, working with suppliers and manufacturers to create innovative menus and recipe ideas

Past Chairmen of the Craft Guild of Chefs

1965 - Harold Taylor
1970 - Len Howe
1972 - Roger Garland
1975 - Robert Smith
1977 - Vic Bard
1980 - Roy Perrett
1983 - Charles Calder (Mike Sullivan started but resigned when Margaret his wife became ill.)
1985 - Ron Collins
1987 - Peter Richards
1989 - Mike Sullivan
1991 - Richard Bell
1993 - Stephen Quinn
1995 - Don Irwin
1997 - Duncan Holloway
1999 - Stephen Scuffell
2001 - David Mulcahy (Then in 2003 CFA became the Craft Guild of Chefs officially with the FSA)
2004 - Steven Munkley
2006 - Nicholas Vadis
2010 - Andrew Green
2013 - Christopher Basten
2016 - Lee Maycock
2018 - Andrew Bennett
2021 - Matt Owens
2024 - Mark Reynolds

Past National Chef of the Year winners

1972 - P.M. Jacquemin
1974 - Brian Price
1976 - E. Van Miele (Belgium)
1978 - Paul Brady
1980 - Flight Sergeant Kenneth Whibley RAF ( The first Chef of the Year dinner held at Café Royale)
1982 - William Stafford
1984 - Robert Mabley
1986 - David Pitchford
1988 - Mark Gregory (New Zealand)
1990 - Roger Narbett
1992 - Gordon Ramsay
1994 - Lou Jones
1996 - David Everett-Mathias
1998 - Kevin Viner
2000 - Bruce Sangster
2002 - Mark Sargeant
2004 - Steven Love
2006 - Eyck Zimmer
2008 - Simon Hulstone
2010 - Hrishikesh Desai
2011 - Freddie Forster
2012 - Alyn Williams
2013 - Hayden Groves
2014 - Russell Bateman
2016 - Lahirua Jayasekara
2017 - James Devine
2018 - Lucas Selby
2019- Kuba Winkowski
2020 - Steven Groves
2021 - Nick Smith
2022 - Thomas Swaby
2023 - Ben Murphy
2024 - Alex Angelogiannis

Past Presidents of the CFA/Craft Guild of Chefs

• 1885-1888 The Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts,1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts
• 1889-1908 William Burdett-Coutts Esq MP
• 1909-1913 Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles Arthur Frederick
• 1913-1936 Lieutenant Colonel Sir Derek Keppel
• 1937-1941 Brigadier General Sir Smith Child, 2nd Baronet
• 1941-1953 Lieutenant Colonel Sir Piers Legh
• 1954-1967 Major Sir Mark Vane Milbank, 4th Baronet
• 1967-1973 Brigadier Sir Geoffrey Hardy-Roberts
• 1973-1986 Vice Admiral Sir Peter Ashmore
• 1986-1992 Rear Admiral Sir Paul Greening
• 1992-2000 Major General Sir Simon Cooper
• 2000-2005 Vice Admiral Sir Anthony Blackburn
• 2005-2013 Air Marshal Sir David Walker (RAF Administrative Officer)
• 2013-present Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt

Read more about the past Presidents of CFA/Craft Guild of Chefs