A spokesman said that following ‘incredibly competitive semi-finals’, 32 candidates were whittled down to just 16 finalists.

“The level of passion for the culinary arts demonstrated by the semi-finalists was incredible, and it made the finalist selection all the more challenging,” they added.

Each of the 32 semi-finalists was interviewed and had to complete sensory analysis challenges as well as a written questionnaire.

The judging panel for the semi-finals included past Le Cordon Bleu Scholarship winner Keiron George; Le Cordon Bleu alumnus and TopChef Brazil champion Luciana Berry; and recent Le Cordon Bleu graduate James Kurawski.

On September 8th the finalists will participate in a culinary challenge set by Le Cordon Bleu Master Chefs, before presenting their completed task to a judging panel comprising Emily Roux, Chef Owner of Michelin-starred Caractère; Chris Galvin, Chef Patron of Galvin Restaurants which includes the Michelin-starred Galvin La Chapelle; Nicolas Houchet, Executive Pastry Chef of The Savoy, and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Director Emil Minev.

This year saw more than 700 applications for Le Cordon Bleu Scholarship, making it the most competitive yet.

The finalists for Le Cordon Bleu Scholarship 2025 are:
•    Kiren Agravat
•    Shay Oluwaseun Akindeinde
•    Daria Boichenko
•    Maisie Burns-Clarke
•    Raman Dhaliwal
•    Luke Dorning
•    Sonny Franklin
•    Sam Gilbert
•    Ruby Goodens
•    Daniel Hogarty
•    Jane Hong
•    Emma Keenan
•    Melissa Kuo
•    Adiputra Mehanda
•    Bethany Walker
•    Hugh Walker