North West Young Chef of the Year

Entries are now closed for 2020

Are you a confident chef aged 25 or younger, and ready to show off your skills and boost your career prospects?

If you are 25 years old or under and passionate about food and can cook a 3 course meal for 2 people using local produce, then sign up below to be notified when entries are open for North West Young Chef of the Year 2021! It is the perfect opportunity to show off your skills and boost your career prospects.

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Essential Cuisine

North West Young Chef Competition Postponed

The organising team behind North West Young Chef of the Year have taken the decision to postpone the 20th edition of the prestigious competition, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of chef competitors and all related stakeholders amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

The competition, held in association with Essential Cuisine, Sous Vide Tools, CHR Equipment and hospitality training provider CPL Online, was to stage three semi-finals between March 25th and April 1st, with a final set for 13th May. Chairman of the judging panel Brian Mellor met with the organising team yesterday, where they took the ‘heart-breaking’ decision to postpone to the autumn. New dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

He said: “This decision has been taken jointly and was made in the interests of the health and safety of everyone involved. We know this will come as a blow to our young contestants – 2020 was a record-breaking year for entries – but we feel it’s the absolute right thing to do. I want to reassure each semi-finalist that, once we are in a position to go again, your place stands and will be honoured. We will see you shine in the bright spotlight of this competition very soon. I very much look forward to that day, and would like to thank everyone – chefs, judges, sponsors, mentors – for their support at this difficult and unprecedented time.”

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Hints & Tips

It is hugely important to understand why you are cooking your menu and spend some time looking at seasons and your own region's local foods. The judges will want to hear about your knowledge of the subject not just your cooking ability.

During the competition, you WILL be asked where you have sourced your ingredients from. On the entry form, provide evidence of your local and seasonal produce. Remember - the paper judging stage will focus on this evidence.

It is important to demonstrate your skills during the cook off. The more skills you demonstrate on the day, the more points the judges will be able to award.

Don’t leave it to the last minute; be organised and proud of your application. Ask your mentors and colleagues for feedback.