She impressed the judges with her Venison and Bone Marrow Hot Dog and Roasted Pheasant with Braised Lentils, Apple Purée, and Hazelnut — complete with homemade bread, a hand-minced sausage, and smoked deer heart grated over the hot dog to finish.

The next generation of chefs took centre stage on 6th November for the annual Eat Wild competition, a collaboration between the Craft Guild of Chefs, Eat Wild, and Unilever Food Solutions, with support from Oakland Park, Pivotal Foods and James Brown from Unilever.

The event began with an ‘inspiring’ morning at Oakland Park’s game processing plant, where students learned how wild meat is prepared, including a live demonstration from the in-house butcher on breaking down a muntjac.

The experience gave competitors a real understanding of where their ingredients come from before heading to Unilever’s development kitchen in Kingston upon Thames for the live final cook-off.

The brief challenged finalists to create everyday dishes using game instead of traditional meats — encouraging chefs to think sustainably and highlight how pheasant, partridge, and venison can feature in modern menus.

With Michelin-starred chefs on hand for Q&As, mentoring, and guidance throughout the day, it was a masterclass in education, creativity, and confidence-building.

Judges included Ian Page, Mark Kempson, Sally Abé, Mark Reynolds, Leon Challis-Davies, and Louisa Clutterbuck, each praising the creativity, technical ability, and respect for wild ingredients displayed by the competitors.

Page, Craft Guild of Chefs young chef ambassador, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many young chefs embracing wild meat and understanding its place in modern cooking. The standard this year was exceptional, and the creativity and respect shown in how they used game was truly inspiring — especially at such a young age.”

Runner-up was Joanne Baggaley from BaxterStorey, with Amy Miles (Eastleigh College), Forest Love-Barkway (Newtown College), and Hollie Campkin (North Herts College) also reaching the final, showcasing outstanding talent from across the UK.

Challis-Davies, culinary director for Eat Wild, added: “Our mission is to show how versatile and accessible game can be, and this competition does exactly that. The creativity from these young chefs proves game has a huge place in everyday cooking.”

As part of her prize, Grace will now enjoy an exclusive stage with Mark Kempson at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Kitchen W8, gaining hands-on experience in one of the country’s top kitchens.

Kempson, head chef at Kitchen W8, commented: “The level of skill and understanding on display was remarkable. To see students working confidently with game and delivering dishes of this calibre gives me real confidence in the next generation of chefs.”

The Eat Wild competition will return again next year, with plans to launch in early 2026, continuing its mission to educate and inspire students, support British game, and promote sustainability through creative cookery.

Mark Reynolds, chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs, explained: “Competitions like Eat Wild are vital — they challenge young chefs to think differently, to be sustainable, and to appreciate the quality of our own British produce. What these finalists achieved in such a short space of time was outstanding.”