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Graduate Awards 2024

The search is now on to find talented and ambitious young chefs to enter the Graduate Awards.

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For 2024, our Chair of Pastry Examiners will be Sarah Frankland, executive chef at Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa. She has some exciting plans for this year’s brief and is looking forward to supporting young pastry chefs through the process.

Ben Murphy, chef patron at Launceston Place and former National Chef of the Year winner will continue his role as Chair of the Kitchen Graduate Award.

The Graduate Awards is a unique event, as it’s an exam not a competition and there’s no limit on the number of chefs who can pass each year. It provides young chefs in the workplace with so many opportunities to test their skills, learn from peers, make new contacts and push themselves into the spotlight. Semi-finalists and finalists will undertake a series of challenges including a paper-based exam followed by tasks in the kitchen.

The award continues to grow, and the Guild is inviting all chefs who will be aged under 25 on the 1st of September 2024 to enter. Those who achieve the Kitchen Award will be invited to compete in the Young National Chef of the Year competition in 2025 whilst pastry achievers will be invited on an overseas trip.

To enter the Graduate Awards, chefs simply need to complete the online entry form before the deadline on Tuesday 30th April 2024. 

Steve Munkley founded these awards in 2002 after recognising a gap in the industry for chefs to challenge and develop their culinary skills once they left college. He works alongside a dedicated committee to make this event a positive and memorable experience for every chef who enters.

This includes a two-day mentor experience for all finalists in the summer. Chefs will be heading to Suffolk for an unforgettable foodie experience visiting local producers as well as enjoying masterclasses and networking opportunities.

The Graduate Awards wouldn’t be possible without its impressive list of sponsors who are all keen to help the Guild to develop young culinary talent. This includes The London Meat Co, Oranka, Savoy Educational Trust, Reynolds, Meiko UK, Essential Cuisine, City and Guilds, Robert Welch, Villeroy & Boch, Continental Chef Supplies (CCS), James Knight of Mayfair, Worshipful Company of Cooks, CCE London Ltd, University of West London, Lakeland Dairies, Grande Cuisine, The Caterer, Maldon Salt, NOWAH, Wild Farmed, and Daregal Gourmet.

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Latest Graduate Awards News

More Graduate Awards News

28th Jan 2019
Since launching in 2002, we have thus far seen 69 chefs pass the Graduate Award with former achievers going on to win Young...
03rd Sep 2018
Regarded as one of the hardest skills tests in the industry, a total 14 chefs undertook the final kitchen or pastry exams -...
24th Aug 2018
Launched a few years ago by organiser Steve Munkley, the mentor day brings finalists together to watch masterclasses, meet...
30th May 2018
Of the 60 entrants, 24 were invited to cook in the London or Sheffield heat last week (23 May), and all currently work in...
11th May 2018
Open to chefs aged 23 and under, the Kitchen and Pastry Graduate examinations were founded by Craft Guild Vice-President...
29th Mar 2018
Created to “provide formal recognition of young chefs’s culinary excellence,” the Graduate Awards are open to chefs under the...
24th Jan 2018
Founded by executive chef at The Royal Garden Hotel, Steve Munkley in 2002, the culinary awards look for young chefs (aged 23...
12th Jan 2018
After undergoing a series of tests in the full day graduate examinations held at University College Birmingham, five chefs...
26th May 2017
The heats will take place on Thursday 15th June at the University of West London and Sheffield College. During this stage...
27th Jan 2014
Successful candidates will have to pass a number of culinary challenges in a high-pressured environment. Those that reach the...