The wait is over. Following months of preparation, practising and an exhilarating final, the Craft Guild of Chefs has revealed Ruth Hansom, chef owner at Hansom Restaurant, as its newly crowned UK National Chef of the Year.
The Craft Guild of Chefs has revealed an exceptional line-up of judges for this year’s National Chef of the Year (NCOTY) final, bringing together some of the most respected names in British and international gastronomy.
Finalists in this year’s National Chef of the Year and Young National Chef of the Year competitions came together for a packed mentor day designed to help them prepare for one of the biggest challenges of their culinary careers.Â
Hosted by Waitrose & Partners’ Innovation Kitchen, the day brought finalists, judges, sponsors and previous winners together.
Arriving in the UK from Slovakia for a summer break, Vladimir didn’t originally plan on being a chef. Teaching runs through his family and he had been studying special educational needs, but he quickly discovered a love of life in the kitchen while working as a kitchen porter in Cambridge.Â
After starting off in his local pub at age 15 and studying catering, Tom gained plenty of experience in kitchens around the country, including The Cottage in the Wood and The Pheasant Inn, Harome. He went on to develop his culinary identity as head chef at The Rattle Owl for three years, before eventually stepping out as an independent chef-owner in 2023. He now has a new venture, Pignut & The Hare.
Having originally planned on a different career, Scott pivoted into professional kitchens at age 26, after discovering he loved the pace, the pressure and the feeling that every day you could get a little bit better. He rose to become executive head chef at Michelin-starred Solstice in Newcastle, which has retained its star during his time there.
Having made history as the first female to take the Young National Chef of the Year title in 2016, Ruth has continuously pushed boundaries, from training at Westminster Kingsway College and The Ritz to navigating the commercial and culinary balance of opening her own successful restaurant. Â
After gaining his professional chef diploma at Westminster Kingsway College, Nathan expanded his culinary horizons at a private member’s club in Florida. Eager to learn how different kitchens and cultures operate, he says he couldn’t say no to the chance to head to the States and develop his skills. Â
Starting out making match-day pies for Morecambe Football Club, while studying at College, Matthew soon took on a role at one of Nigel Howarth’s pubs, The Highwayman in the Lake District. Following this he steadily rose through the ranks over seven years at Northcote under mentor, Lisa Goodwin-Allen.Â
After earning a Diplôme de Cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu London, Marnix gained valuable experience as a commis chef at Hide under chefs like Ollie Dabbous, Josh Angus, Yiannis Mexis and Martin Carabott.Â
A spark ignited during childhood holidays at his family’s Lake District B&B led Daniel to his love for food and hospitality. He looks back fondly at how he would spend time as a child helping wherever he could from cleaning plates and setting tables to baking desserts with his aunt.Â
Trained at Cambridge Regional College, Byron built a versatile foundation across some of Cambridge’s historic university colleges and top dining spots, including Alimentum. He is currently executive chef for Mark Poynton at Ancient Shepherds, where he continues to develop his own style while learning from those around him.Â
From starting his career at The Dorchester under Anton Mosimann to cooking alongside Gary Rhodes, Andy brings decades of varied experience, spanning fine dining, private estates and contract catering to this year’s final.Â
At an event hosted by Angus Pure and Aussie Beef & Lamb, the Craft Guild of Chefs has unveiled the 10 finalists who will battle it out for the coveted National Chef of the Year title, following the competition’s highly anticipated return to live semi-finals. Led by chair of judges Mark Birchall and Chair of Pastry, Cherish Finden, the judging panel faced the challenging task of selecting this year’s finalists from an exceptional field of talent.
The Craft Guild of Chefs has officially unveiled the semi-finalists for National Chef of the Year as the competition reaches its next exciting stage.
Following a strong set of entries this year, a select group of chefs from across the UK have been chosen to go forward to the live semi-finals, which will take place in both Sheffield and London on 24th June and 1st July respectively.
The Craft Guild of Chefs has announced a deadline extension for this year’s National Chef of the Year competition after chefs requested additional time to complete their submissions. The extension until midnight on Monday 20th April 2026 not only supports chefs who have already begun working on their menus but also opens the door for those who have not yet started an entry, giving more chefs the opportunity to take part in the UK’s most prestigious and career‑defining culinary competition.
The Craft Guild of Chefs has officially opened entries for the National Chef of the Year 2026, the UK’s most prestigious and career-defining culinary competition. Building on its reputation for inspiring excellence and shaping the future of British gastronomy, the Craft Guild of Chefs has revealed its new brief for 2026.
The new Chairs were unveiled live on the Craft Guild of Chefs Instagram with Mark Birchall, chef patron at Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms taking the helm of the National Chef of the Year and Tom Shepherd, owner of Upstairs by Tom Shepherd, based in Staffordshire, chairing Young National Chef of the Year.
In a thrilling finale that brought together the very best of British gastronomy, the Craft Guild of Chefs has officially revealed Danny Young from The Torridon in the Scottish Highlands as this year’s UK National Chef of the Year winner. National Chef of the Year is a prestigious title that every competitive chef wants to win.
The wait is over as the finalists for the Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year 2025 have been revealed, marking a key moment in the UK’s most prestigious culinary competition. The competition has once again proven why it remains the title every ambitious chef aspires to win. From creativity and technical skill to sustainability and flavour, the calibre of dishes on display has been incredible.
The excitement is evident across the UK culinary scene today as the semi-finalists for the prestigious National Chef of the Year competition have been officially revealed. Throughout the day, talented chefs have been receiving their coveted semi-finalist chef jackets as well as gifts from Churchill and Essential Cuisine, marking their place in the top 40.
In recent weeks, the Guild has reached out to past National Chef of the Year competitors to ensure that chefs are aware of the brief and to answer any questions about the entry process. The response to the brief created by Matt Abé has been incredibly positive but there have been several requests for more time for the chefs to complete their menus.
The search for the next National Chef of the Year is officially underway, as the Craft Guild of Chefs partners with Matt Abé to create an inspiring brief for this prestigious competition. The criteria invites chefs to showcase their creativity, culinary skills, and talent in line with this year’s theme: Classic Meets Contemporary.
