In a bid to achieve the pass mark in the 20th year of the event, chefs will be using a range of inspiring mentoring videos created by Westminster Kingsway College to help them practise for the next stage. The semi-finals will take place at West Herts College, Watford and Sheffield College, with chefs taking on both theoretical and practical exams during the day.  

The Graduate Awards offer chefs aged under 25 the chance to improve their culinary skills, build confidence, network with industry peers and the opportunity to put themselves into the national spotlight.

Graduate Awards achievers have gone on to win competitions such as Young and Senior National Chef of the Year, secure exciting promotions, and gain Michelin stars of their own.

Taking part in the Sheffield Kitchen semi-final will be: 

• Brandon William Stokoe, Jesmond Dene House Hotel
• Billy Etheridge, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
• Carlos Patrick Lopez Sexton, Jesmond Dene House Hotel
• Chloe Williamson, Prestwold Hall
• Jack Baldwin, The Staveley Arms
• Matthew Gallagher, New Hall Hotel & Spa
• Megan Beale, Dumbleton Hall Hotel
• Michael Jones, Grantley Hall, Fletchers Restaurant
• Miltan Masha, The Monarch Theatre
• Samantha Watkins, Sapori
• Sam Dixon, Northcote Hotel
• Thomas Finn, Coworth Park

Completing the London Kitchen semi-final will be:

• Alex Doyle, Marcus Belgravia
• Benjamin Mabley, Hartwell House Hotel & Spa
• Callum Davison, Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa
• Cameron Jones, The Waterside Inn
• Cloe Walsh, Snaffles Restaurant, Castle Leslie Estate
• Gabriella Mosca, Norton Rose Fulbright
• Harry Donnelly, The RAF Club
• Joshua Sealey, Fallow Restaurant
• Jonathan Smith, Gravetye Manor
• Kenny Markham, The Falcon, Castle Ashby
• Liam Balmer, Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa
• Maisie Brown, The Newt in Somerset
• Toby Whitehead, Coworth Park

The chefs through to the next round of the Pastry Graduate Award are:

• Ana Catarina Nogueira De Melo, Intercontinental Park Lane
• Catherine Glover, Pettigrew Bakeries
• Daniel James Scriven, Pillars Restaurant
• Danielle Rose Valerio, Pillars Restaurant
• Destiny Kodheli, University of West London
• Hoi Yan Tam, Brown's Hotel
• James Pache, Pillars Restaurant
• Katrina Atienza, University of West London
• Liberty Noke, Monkey Island Estate
• Max Gaitskell, Pillars Restaurant
• Miles Slater, Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa
• Sanjam Nagpal, The Dorchester

Founder of the Graduate Awards and vice-president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, Steve Munkley said: “Having just come back from an incredible Graduate Awards prize trip to Lyon with Grande Cuisine, I’ve seen first-hand the impact that achieving this award can have on a young chef. As well as the mentor experience which all finalists will enjoy, there are some incredible prizes on offer this year too.

“I’d encourage all those who have made the semi-final stage to practise and study as much as possible. The chefs who have the most success in the Graduate Awards are those who put the work in, the ones who are hungry to achieve the pass mark and are determined to showcase their skills. Use the next few weeks wisely and grab this opportunity you’ve been given with both hands.”

You can follow updates on the Graduate Awards by following the Craft Guild of Chefs social media channels or the hashtag #CGCGradAwards.

The Graduate Awards are sponsored by The London Meat Co, Oranka, Savoy Education Trust, Reynolds, Meiko UK, Essential Cuisine, City and Guilds, Robert Welch, Villeroy and Boch, CCS, Mars Foods, James Knight of Mayfair, Worshipful Company of Cooks, CCE London Ltd, Hoshizaki UK, University of West London, Tilda, Lakeland Dairies Foodservice, Grande Cuisine, The Caterer, Redefined Meat, Adande, Eurilait, PizzaSi UK, Indeed Flex, Wrapmaster and Maldon Salt.