Criteria and Task

This year The National Chef of the Year criteria will focus on demonstrating excellent culinary skills across all disciplines, the creative use of local and global sustainable ingredients and the avoidance of any unnecessary food waste.

You should continue to celebrate and support excellent food producers through your competition entry, showcasing both simple and high-quality ingredients, elevating them to produce excellent dishes for your menu entry.

We invite professional chefs from all ethnic and gender backgrounds to submit an entry to one of the UK’s longest running and most prestigious competitions.

There are no barriers to entry and celebrating our rich culture and culinary heritage is done best when reflected by the diversity within the hospitality industry.

Competitors should be aged 26 years or older on or before 1st October 2025.

The Task

Competitors are required to produce a three (3) course celebration menu for two (2) covers within three (3) hours based on the overarching theme of “Classic meets Contemporary”.

NOTE:

• Menus should reflect the season in which they will be cooked.
• Chefs are encouraged to use their own interpretation and innovation within the menu guidelines.
• Successful candidates will be required to cook their original menus in October 2025
• Seasonal changes and amendments will be allowed once finalists are announced.

Focus on:

• Excellent skills, knowledge, and culinary techniques
• Simplicity and use of ingredients to demonstrate waste reduction (eg utilising whole items)
• Focus on sustainability, seasonality, innovation, marriage and balance of flavours.
• Dishes should use ingredients that are naturally harmonious and belong together.
  

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Starter: 

A first course of a classically inspired lobster dish with accompanying sauce, appropriately garnished

• Competitors should focus on technical skill and flavour to deliver an elegant start to a 3-course menu.
• Judges will also focus on utilisation of the lobster within the dish ie. Skills used, unnecessary waste, sourcing, provenance, sustainability of ingredients used.
  

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Main Course

A beef dish using 2 cuts of beef (1 prime, 1 secondary cut) suitably garnished and capable of being cooked within the 3-hour period.

• Choose any two of the cuts as a primary and secondary element in the dish.
• The secondary cut may be braised on the day or in advance.
• One potato plus one onion element is required within garnish. 
• The choice is yours, but the dish must make use of ingredients, techniques and cooking styles that bring the very best from the beef dish.
• Competitors should highlight the provenance/sourcing of the beef used (breed, farm etc)
• Judges will want to see how the protein element is elevated using relevant complimentary and seasonal ingredients, flavours, textures and techniques.
• Competitors may use other elements (eg Offal, charcuterie) as garnish within the dish at own discretion.
• We welcome all national and international cuisines to create a delicious main course.
• Competitors may clean, butcher, marinade the beef elements in advance.
• Prepared stocks and jus - where used, must be from Essential Cuisine ranges

For further details on Essential Cuisine’s range of products click here .

Note (relevant once finalists are announced)

• Full details and information on any further sponsored product provided will be shared once the 10 successful finalists are announced later in the process.
• Successful finalists will have the opportunity to adapt dishes and garnishes accordingly.

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Dessert

A Chocolate Finale

Competitors are required to produce a tart or tartlet as a warm or cold Chocolate Dessert that showcases the flavours of Valrhona Chocolate . The dishes flavour is all about the nuances and flavours of the grand crus*.

For further details on Valrhona chocolate click here and here .

• Competitors must showcase chocolate as the focal point of the dessert (not just the garnish)
• While based around a classic dish, competitors are free to personalise the dish to showcase their own innovation.
• Consider all elements to create a perfect marriage and balance of dessert 
• Judges will be looking for an inspiring dessert to complement the menu

* please note that the term “grand crus” refers to the chocolate that will be provided by Valrhona, whose chocolate range has different flavour characteristics arising from the area in which the cocoa is grown.

Entry Guidelines

Competitors should pay particular attention to:

• Technical skills, Taste & Flavour – a strong focus for judges
• Seasonality (successful finalists will be able to adapt for seasonal changes)
• Sourcing & Provenance (global and local)
• Overall Menu Balance
• Wastage – (avoid unnecessary waste, utilise whole ingredient)
• Adherence to criteria
• Mise en Place allowed

Timing – menu must be capable of being prepared, cooked and served within a 3 HOUR TIMEFRAME

Mise en Place allowed.  Unless stated in the criteria for each dish, no preparation is permitted other than:

• Weighed ingredients
• Peeled, not prepared fruit and vegetables
• Basic stocks and sauces (any prepared stocks or jus should be from Essential Cuisine’s range – please see link here to view product range)
  
• Puff pastry, filo pastry 
• Egg custards (not set) and batters
• Marinated meats or fish (where appropriate)
• Marinated, preserved, dehydrated or fermented fruit or vegetable garnishes

Sponsor Ingredients: Please note where sponsors are supporting food and non-food items, this will become clear once finalists are announced and at the mentor day.

Please Note:

Dish Photography: seasonal variations will be allowed for the purposes of photographs accompanying competition entries.

40 semi-finalists will be selected from the initial entry stage. These will be announced Monday 2nd June 2025.

Successful paper entries - Semi-Finalists are then required to create a short video describing your passion and inspiration behind your menu – details will be given to all semi-finalists on Monday 2nd June 2025 .

10 finalists are then selected (announced Monday 30th June 2025) and will be required to cook their original entry on Tuesday 7th October 2025.

For details of the equipment in the UWL kitchen click here.

Details for the final will be sent to all finalists on Monday 30th June 2025.

Unless otherwise stated, competitors are required to supply all food and specialist equipment .

Competitors should be aware that cook off for finals will be on Tuesday 7th October 2025 and should consider seasonal changes accordingly. Successful finalists will be permitted to make seasonal changes closer to the final in accordance to the rules.

Dates to note:

Closing date for receipt of preliminary entries: Monday 14th April 2025.

Announcement of the semi-finalists: Monday 2nd June 2025.

Stage 2 (video + supplementary information): Wednesday 4th June 2025 - Wednesday 18th June 2025 (deadline).

Announcement of Finalists: Monday 30th June 2025

Finalists Networking Evening:  Monday 1st September 2025

Finalist Mentor Day: Tuesday 2 September 2025.

Grand Final: Tuesday 7 October 2025 @ University of West London (UWL).

Premiere Awards Celebration: Tuesday 7 October 2025 @ Central London Location.

Wishing you the very best of luck with your application. Results of the preliminary entries will be announced on Monday 2nd June 2025.

Don’t forget to follow The National Chef of the Year on Instagram @craftguildofchefs #ncoty

Before entering we recommend you read this 'how to enter' document. It may even be a good idea to print it off so you can reference it if needed while working on your entry. Click here to download.