The excitement is evident across the UK culinary scene as the semi-finalists for the prestigious National Chef of the Year competition have been officially revealed.
Throughout the day, talented chefs have been receiving their coveted semi-finalist chef jackets from Continental Chef Supplies (CCS) and Lafont as well as gifts from Churchill and Essential Cuisine marking their place in the top 40.
Widely regarded as the leading culinary competition in the UK, this event celebrates the very best in professional cooking and reaching the semi-final stage is a testament to each chef’s exceptional skill, creativity, and dedication to their craft.
Over recent weeks, a panel of culinary experts have reviewed every single entry they received from competitors across the UK who work in a variety of sectors and establishments. Industry leaders involved in the blind-judging included Matt Abé, David Mulcahy, Sarah Frankland, Hrishikesh Desai, Gary Jones, Chris Galvin, Sarah Hartnett, Steve Groves, George Blogg, Dominic Owen, Paul Askew, James Sommerin and Willie Pike.
Achieving top 40 spots in the competition this year are:
For the next stage of the competition, chefs are challenged with making a ‘showstopping’ hot or cold pre-dessert. This dish should focus on a chef’s own choice of seasonal fruit or vegetable and may be sweet or have a savoury twist.
The dish should be inspired by their own culinary journey and reflect their personality and interpretation. Chefs are asked to consider the food story, dish balance, avoidance of waste and how ingredients are utilised to champion the main element.
Matt Abé, chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay said: “Personally, I was delighted to see a real mix of new entrants giving the title a go and former competitors coming back even stronger than in previous years. During the deliberation, every judge praised the high standard of entries this year with a particular focus around innovation and incredible culinary skills.
“Those who made the top forty have really delved into the detail of the brief and carefully considered every element from seasonality to skill and flavour to food waste. This has resulted in a high number of dishes that I truly hope to be able to taste in the final.”
Ten chefs will then go head-to-head at the grand final at the University of West London on Tuesday 7th October before the winner is revealed at a VIP awards evening at The Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square.
David Mulcahy, competition director and vice-president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, added: “The Craft Guild of Chefs Instagram account has been flooded with photos from proud semi-finalists and rightly so as this is a huge achievement.
“The competitors haven’t made it easy for us once again and we really appreciate the huge amount of work that goes into every single entry. Our rigorous judging process allows us to analyse each dish as well as the overall balance of each menu. We have individual teams blind judging starters, main courses and desserts, with Matt and myself scoring every single dish.
“It’s only once all the scores have been added together and verified that names are revealed. For those who don’t make it through, ask for feedback, learn from the experience, and know that the standard in this competition is incredibly high. Every single competitor held their own.”
National Chef of the Year is sponsored by Essential Cuisine, Thomas Foods International supported by Aussie Beef & Lamb, Churchill, Continental Chef Supplies (CCS), Classic Fine Foods, Hallgarten & Novum Wines, St Ewe, Valrhona, Evolve Hospitality Recruitment and Worshipful Company of Cooks.
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