Following the resounding success of its inaugural year, the Eat Wild Craft Guild of Chefs competition returns for its second edition—continuing its mission to spotlight the UK’s most promising young culinary talent and champion the use of wild meat in modern cooking.

The competition invites catering college students and apprentice chefs from across the UK to test their skills, creativity and understanding of sustainability through the lens of British wild game.

Louisa Clutterbuck, chief executive of Eat Wild, said: “After the success of last year’s competition we are delighted to be continuing this fantastic opportunity for young people to engage in cooking with wild meat in new and exciting ways. It is brilliant to see how many colleges entered and we hope that year on year the size of the competition will grow and inspire more young people to cook with wild meat.”

Competitors will be asked to submit two wild meat dishes; one bar snack/street food dish and one comfort food/everyday dish, with a photograph and brief description of each dish and the working methods used to create them.

Seasonality and sourcing will be a focal point of the competition, with competitors considering menu content, portion sizes, presentation and materials used. The panel of judges will include Mark Reynolds, Louisa Clutterbuck, Leon Challis-Davies, Mark Kempson and Ian Page as well as a guest judge Sally Abe. 

Submissions must be made by 10th October 2025 to [email protected]. Up to six finalists will be selected to compete in a high-stakes final during Great British Game Week on November 6th 2025, hosted at Unilever HQ, London.

James Brown, executive chef at Unilever, commented: “Unilever Food Solutions UK is incredibly excited to support this year’s competition championing our countries unique bounty of game. This is an incredible opportunity for student chefs to work with beautiful seasonal produce. The students will learn how to compete under pressure, cook naturally nutritious food, and demonstrate their evolving skills.”

Finalists will be awarded with:

• A three-year membership to the Guild of Chefs  
• Lunch and a tour of Oakland Park game processing plant
• A chef’s jacket and an Eat Wild apron.

The winner will also be awarded a Netherton Foundry 12” Crotchta Pan with Hanging Stake, a shooting lesson on clays and a day in the kitchen with Mark Kempson of Kitchen W8  followed by dinner for four people. 

Ian Page, competition judge and young chef ambassador for the Craft Guild of Chefs, added: “This competition is a fantastic platform for students to explore the sustainable use of wild meat, while also gaining a deeper understanding of how it supports our countryside, rural businesses, and offers a healthy, natural food source.”

This unique competition continues to shape the culinary future of game meat in Britain—encouraging young chefs to embrace wild, sustainable ingredients and challenge the boundaries of traditional cooking.