From farm to fork and bean to cup, entrants will craft pioneering, sustainably sourced menus at every stage of the competition, giving them the skills and creativity to overcome sustainability challenges in the culinary world.

This year’s winners will join 105 more in Toque d’Or’s hall of fame and will enjoy a ‘once in a lifetime’ culinary trip to Brazil. Discovering the vibrant gastronomic scene of São Paulo the winners will be ‘inspired’ by new tastes and flavours from the country.  

The Toque d’Or competition was launched in 1989 to ‘inspire’ the next generation of food service professionals and provide up-to-the-minute knowledge on the hospitality industry.

The competition now has a strong network of supporters, judges and competitor-alumni, ranging from Anton Mosimann, James Martin and Jamie Oliver, to Brian Turner, Paul Gayler, James Tanner and Simon Hulstone.

Katya Simmons, managing director Nestlé Professional UK&, said: “Toque d’Or has gone from strength to strength over the last 35 years and it’s a delight to shine a light on the talent in the hospitality industry. It’s fantastic to see how well past winners and entrants are doing now: testimony to their dedication and innate qualities, but also to the skills and confidence they gained during the competition.

“Times are still incredibly tough in the industry, and it’s important not just to encourage and support young talent, but also to show them the exciting opportunities on offer in our industry. Toque d’Or is our regular opportunity to do this. And this year, we’re pulling out the stops to make it as memorable and inspiring as ever – for competitors, for the industry, and for everyone involved delivering the competition.

“To encourage more young talent to consider hospitality careers, we’ve launched our Choose Hospitality Pledge. We’re galvanising the industry to challenge negative perceptions of hospitality careers in secondary schools across the country, collaborating with industry leaders Careerscope, Springboard and Choose Hospitality alongside a growing number of leading hospitality businesses.”

To register and find out more about the competition training, format and timeline, college lecturers, employers and apprentices must go to www.nestleprofessional.co.uk/toque-dor.