The competition is a junior version of the renowned National Chef of the Year contest where the crème de la crème of young chefs, who are proven winners from other events such as the Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards, New Zealand UK Link Foundation Challenge, Academy Awards of Excellence, British Culinary Federation Young Chef and the North West Chef of the Year, will be invited by the YNCOTY committee to take part.Last year saw junior sous chef Mark Stinchcombe from the Lucknam Park Hotel near Bath become the competition's first winner.David Mulcahy, Craft Guild vice president and competition organiser, said: "We are looking towards the rising talent in the industry and want to give the stars of the future the chance to compete on a national stage. Showcasing excellence is extremely important, especially in young chefs, as it motivates them to strive for even higher achievements. We will be assessing industry competitions very closely to determine who will compete by invitation of the Craft Guild of Chefs at this year's grand final of Young National Chef of the Year 2011."The YNCOTY competition is open to chefs aged between 18 and 23 as of April 1 2011, who work in any sector of the catering industry – from hotels, restaurants and pubs, to universities and contract caterers. Eight finalists will be chosen following performances at other events throughout the year.Steve Munkley, executive chef at London's Royal Garden Hotel, said: "Last year's competition was a phenomenal success, and is a great accreditation to the CV of any chef who takes part. This year will see some of the best chefs in the industry judging the finalists to see who has got what it takes to walk away with this fabulous title."A personal sense of pride is an important factor in one of the most competitive and ever changing industries. Competing also opens doors to industry events, gives young chefs the chance to establish greater relationships with suppliers through sponsorship, network with chefs they never dreamed they'd meet, and compete against some of the world's finest talent.YNCOTY 2010 winner Mark Stinchcombe said: "It was an amazing achievement for me personally to have won such a prestigious prize. It was great to gain the experience of working in a different environment and in front of a live audience. It gave me more understanding of the industry and I certainly came away with many more culinary ideas."Stinchcombe also went on to be named the top chef in the 2010 Young Chef Young Waiter competition. "These kinds of experiences are really helping me to grow as a person and hopefully one day they will stand me in good stead to compete for the best prize of them all – The National Chef of the Year," he said.The YNCOTY competition is run in partnership with catering equipment suppliers Lockhart, Unilever's premium Knorr brand and Electrolux, one of the global leaders in professional appliances. It is also run in association with Churchill China, which has more than 200 years of innovation and expertise in providing tabletop solutions.• For further information on the Young National Chef of the Year, visit contact Clair Bowman on 01293 610329