Entrants have been asked to produce and photograph their dish for the online entry. Young chefs from each region- North, South, Midlands, Northern Ireland and Scotland will be selected to compete in the regional finals.

For the regional heats the young chefs will be asked to recreate their entry from scratch to camera as if being observed in person. Judges will select two chefs from each region to compete in the Grand Final, which will be held on 25 January 2021 at Westminster Kingsway College.

The overall winner will receive a three day stage at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck Restaurant in Bray and a visit to the Riso Gallo Rice Mill in Italy. The runner-up will win a three day stage at the Italian Embassy in London working with executive chef Danilo Cortellini and a visit to the Riso Gallo Rice Mill in Italy.

The judging panel for this year’s competition includes consultant chef Paul Gayler MBE, head chef at the Italian Embassy Cortellini and Frances Atkins from the Yorke Arms.

Mariusz Jasinski from the Petrus Restaurant in London won the 2020 Young Risotto Chef of the Year competition with his chestnut and trumpet mushrooms. He spent three days working at the ‘award winning’ La Chapelle in London.

Jason Morrison, managing director of Riso Gallo UK, said: “For over 165 years, Riso Gallo has supplied many of the top chefs across the world with Italian rice of the highest quality. We understand their passion and commitment to their craft, and the years of training they undertake.

“We launched this competition to help foster and reward the next generation who can inject personality, passion and creativity into their own vibrant, exciting risotto dish. Our Young Risotto Chef of the Year has gone from strength to strength each year.”

If you would like to enter, visit here.