The entrants are required to create a two-course lunch menu for four guests within 90 minutes. The starter must be vegetarian and the main course must be meat or fish using Kikkoman’s soy sauce. A new challenge for this year is for the chefs to identify allergens in each of the recipes.

The final of the Kikkoman Masters will take place at the Restaurant Show on 30 September and the winner will receive a seven-day trip to Japan.

Bing-yu Lee, Kikkoman UK manager, said: “The response this year to our Kikkoman Masters 2019 competition was excellent. Chefs have recognised Kikkoman Soy Sauce is an all-purpose seasoning, with depth of flavour that intensifies the taste of other ingredients.”

The judges include television chef Brian Turner CBE, David Mulcahy of the Craft Guild of Chefs and Adam Handling of the Frog by Adam Handling. Last years winner, Fergus Wilford of Gravetye Manor will also be joining judges at the final.

Mulcahy, chair of judges, added: “This year we received an incredible amount of entries, all of high standard making judging very tough and a close call on finalists.

“The inclusion of a vegetarian starter has resulted in a good cross section of inspired dishes. It’s the first year that we’ve asked chefs to list allergens which has given them a little more to think about.”

The ten finalists are:

Rebecca Allen, St Ermins Hotel

Joe Baker, Graysons Restaurant

Scott Braithwaite, L’Enclume

Enrique Diez Garcia de Olalla, The Frog Hoxton, By Adam Handling

Joseph Fallowfield, Housel Bay Hotel

Dan Graham, At the Dinner Party by Dan Graham

Robbie Lorraine, Executive Chef, Grazing

Scott Perkins, For Starters

Mattia Santoro, The Zetter Hotel

Stefan Sewell, Combined Services Culinary Arts Team