Welcome to Competitions

The Craft Guild of Chefs is proud to celebrate with them.

Here you will find everything you need to know about the various culinary competitions that take place throughout the year - everything from the flagship National Chef of the Year contest through to the specialist Tilda Chef of the Year Competition.

This section will reveal where each is taking place, how you can get involved and those all important winners and runners up.

Current competitions:

Previous competitions:

Latest Competition News

26th Mar 2026

Graduate Awards extend entry deadline to increase opportunity for young chefs

By: Edward Waddell

Entries will now close on Tuesday 7th April 2026, giving kitchens across the UK an extra week to encourage younger members of their teams to take part. Further information and entry details can be

24th Mar 2026

National Chef of the Year extends entry deadline following demand from chefs

By: Edward Waddell

The extension until midnight on Monday 20th April 2026 not only supports chefs who have already begun working on their menus but also opens the door for those who have not yet started an entry, giving

17th Mar 2026

Nestlé Professional reveals 12 finalists for 2026 Toque d’Or competition

By: Edward Waddell

The competition is supported by industry partners including Russums and Savoy Educational Trust, who help champion the development of emerging talent across the hospitality sector. Led by chef Kate

17th Mar 2026

UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year reveals 5 finalists

By: Edward Waddell

The road to restaurant excellence reached a ‘thrilling milestone’ at Lainston House in Winchester, where the semi-final of the UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year 2026 unfolded in ‘spectacular

More Competitions News

18th Mar 2022

Competition hots up as Toque d’Or announces finalists for the Heats

Whittled down from more than 400 entrants from across the UK, competitors have already completed rigorous selection and...

11th Mar 2022

The search is on for the UK Seafood Chef of the Year 2022

This year’s competition promises competitors the best line up of judges to date, with Rick Stein, Mitch Tonks, Mark Hix and...

09th Mar 2022

Sodexo announces Chef of the Year 2022 finalists

The 90-minute live cook-off will take place at the HRC Show on 21 March 2022 at London ExCeL. With a strong emphasis on plant...

08th Mar 2022

FutureChef competition announces record number of female finalists

Hosted by UK hospitality charity Springboard, the competition is supported by chefs including Clare Smyth and Tom Kerridge...

01st Mar 2022

Craft Guild of Chefs celebrates 20 years of the Graduate Awards

Known for accelerating the careers of ambitious and talented young chefs, the Graduate Awards have seen its alumni going on...

28th Feb 2022

North Wales Chef ‘over the moon’ to win Junior Chef of Wales cook-off

Weir, head chef at Watson’s Bistro in Conwy, won the Dragon trophy as well as a trip to the Worldchefs Congress 2022 in Abu...

25th Feb 2022

British Turkey & Duck Young Chef Challenge opens for entry

The competition is open to student and apprentice chefs aged 23-years-old or under as of 12 April 2022, with the final taking...

25th Feb 2022

National Chef of Wales announces winner

The 24-year-old chef de partie received the coveted Dragon Trophy from Wales’ Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales...

24th Feb 2022

Students from Lincoln College win Rational cooking competition

Rational is committed to supporting educational initiatives that can provide students with training on its cooking systems to...

21st Feb 2022

S.Pellegrino launches search for brightest young UK chefs

Taking part in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition is a ‘unique opportunity’ for UK-based chefs to enter a...