The 2026 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 10th June at the Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge. There will be an exciting new format to the 2026 awards ceremony, with the changes being led by Craft Guild of Chefs chair Mark Reynolds.  

The awards are seen as the chefs’ Oscars recognising ‘exceptional talent’ across the whole of the UK's chef industry – from apprentice and young chefs just starting out to chefs who are established in their careers in hospitality, pubs and restaurants. Nominations have now opened and they close on Friday 13th February 2026.

The criteria for the Chef & Service Lecturer Award and the Sustainability Excellence Award has been revised for the 2026 edition of the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards. The 14 categories open for nomination include:

Apprentice Chef Award: Recognising outstanding progress, achievements, and company awards.

Banqueting & Event Chef Award: For chefs delivering the highest standards with creativity, organisation, and leadership.

Chef & Service Lecturer Award (revised for 2026): For lecturers or trainers developing chefs and service staff at all levels across any sector.

Competition Chef Award: Celebrating chefs with a proven record in culinary competitions.

Contract Catering Chef Award: For chefs working in contract catering within workplace environments.

Culinary Hero Award: Honouring chefs who go above and beyond for their team, community, or industry.

Development Chef Award: For chefs in product development or innovation, whether in multinationals or specialist outlets.

Pastry Chef Award: Recognising excellence in pastry, whether self-taught or professionally trained.

Pub Restaurant Chef Award: For chefs combining local produce, creativity, and outstanding customer experience.

Public Sector Chef Award: Honouring chefs in high-volume catering, including hospitals, education, prisons, and public services.

Restaurant Chef Award: For chefs demonstrating exceptional quality in standalone restaurants, groups, or hotels.

Street Food Chef Award: Recognising independent street food operators delivering innovative and popular dishes.

Sustainability Excellence Award (revised for 2026): For impactful, food-led sustainability initiatives across the industry.

Young Chef Award: For chefs under 23 who demonstrate passion, technical skill, and commitment to their career path.

Nominations that don't include any or minimal support information won't be submitted to the judges so please ensure that you answer the category questions in your submission and include any additional support information.

In addition to these 14 award categories there are three categories that are not open for nominations but a winner will be announced on the awards night. They are the Accredited College Award, New Restaurant of the Year Award and the Special Award.

The 2026 Special Award is reserved for one very special person who the Craft Guild of Chefs believes has made an outstanding contribution to the industry over and above the call of duty. Last year’s winner was Clare Smyth MBE.

The sponsors of the 2026 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards are Bonemasters, Clean Event Services, Foodbuy, HRC Show, Lakeland Dairies, Lumina, Rational, Tugo and Williams.