This year’s renamed competition will also have a new venue at Central Bedfordshire College, Kingsway Campus, Dunstable. The competition will take place on 27 and 28 May 2020 and entries will open in February. 

The competition is the largest student-based catering competition in the country and it has been running for 22 years. It has launched the careers for some of the UK’s most prominent chefs including Ruth Hanson and Adam Smith. 

Andrew Green, chief executive of the Craft Guild of Chefs, said: “The change of name reflects the growth of competition as it attracts students from all over the UK. 

“We hope this move will encourage even more young chefs to enter for the chance to get their first taste of a professional competition and to showcase their culinary skills.”

The competition is divided into five categories including live hot, live cold, restaurant, cold static and bakery. Each competition has its own judging criteria and is marked independently by judges.  

The 2019 Wessex Salon Culinaire saw more than 270 culinary students compete along with the addition of three new live hot competitions and a canapé challenge.