“It’s hard to put into words what winning this title means to me. You have to put in a lot of hard work and sacrifices to win a competition as prestigious as Young National Chef of the Year, but I was determined to achieve that accolade. The whole experience has been fantastic, helping me to test my skills against my peers and make new connections in the industry.”

“Winning the title of Young National Chef of the Year means the world to me and I put my heart and soul into the competition. I had such an amazing team behind me from Le Manoir, supporting me all the way to help me achieve it. This level of support makes such a difference to a young chef and I’m so proud to join such an impressive list of former winners. I didn’t expect to enjoy the final cook-off as much as I did but the minute I stepped into the kitchen I just got my head down as I wanted this title so much.”

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• "Winning Young National Chef of the Year felt unbelievable. It was amazing to compete against other great professionals from across the country. It proves that hard work pays off and I would encourage any aspiring chefs to take part in this fantastic competition. The experience of developing dishes using sustainable ingredients was a great challenge and one which was both exciting and relevant."

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• I still can't believe that I have won YNCOTY - I really didn't expect it! It's a huge honour, particularly given the standard of the other chefs in the final and being such a prestigious competition this can only benefit my career. I can't thank the Craft Guild, judges and sponsors enough. I am excited to see what will happen in the next stage of my career.

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• “Winning Young National Chef of the Year was the best feeling in the world. It proves that if you work hard and dedicate yourself to the challenge, anything is possible. I feel incredible honoured and look at this as a stepping stone to hopefully even greater achievements.”

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• “It is the greatest honour to be named YNCOTY and to be recognised by the judges and my peers. All of the contestants work incredibly hard to get to this level and to have won, among such strong competition, was amazing. I recommend to any ambitious chef to enter such competitions - the hard work really pays off, whether your win or lose - its a great experience.”

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• “It is great to be able to bring the title of National Young Chef of the Year not only to Northcote but to my home county of Lancashire. I am so proud and grateful to have achieved this award for not only myself but for Northcote as well. As many will know I started my career at Northcote as an apprentice and I want to ensure that this award encourages the current and next generation of apprentices to see that hard work, determination and passion go a long way in achieving your own personal goals within the industry. The award has already brought a buzz and excitement to my personal career with the opportunities, contacts and experience that I have gained from it”

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• “I can’t put into words how amazing it feels. I’m so happy to have won. I’ve come second in the past and knew that I really wanted to win this year.”

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• “Being seeded into the live final of the Young National Chef of the Year competition was an honour in itself but to go on to win it was more than I could ever have hoped. I loved every part of this competition and have had some incredible opportunities since winning but there’s still plenty more to come. If you are looking to get your name seen and heard, this is definitely a competition to be part of.”

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• “Taking part in the competition was both challenging and rewarding and winning Young National Chef of the Year was the icing on the cake. I’ve learnt a lot and it certainly helped me grow in confidence as a chef. I’d definitely encourage my peers to take part.”

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• “Winning Young National Chef of the Year was a career highlight, the experience of taking part is something that I’ll never forget and I’d recommend it to any chef serious about competitive cooking. It’s both a stepping stone to senior competitions and a great confidence boost.”