Craft Guild of Chefs launches search for Young National Chef of the Year

07-Mar-2016 - Last updated on 27-Apr-2021 at 12:40 GMT

The finalist's for last year's competition

The Craft Guild of Chefs has launched its annual search for the Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY).

To kick-start the competition the Guild has announced the 15 culinary competitions from which it will award automatic places in the finals and semi-finals.

The overall winners from the British Culinary Federation, the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence, World Skills UK and the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Graduate Award will be seeded a place in the final.

The final six places will be taken by those who score the highest at two semi-finals at Sheffield College on 14 June and at Le Cordon Bleu Cookery School on 22 June.

Places in the semi-final are allocated to young chefs who have impressed judges at the following competitions:

South West Young Chef of the Year
The Master Chefs of Great Britain Young Chef of the Year
Chaine des Rotisseurs Young Chef
North West Chef of the Year
Young Scottish Chef of the Year
Young North East Chef of the Year
Guernsey Young Chef of the Year
Young Welsh Chef of the Year
Young Game Chef of the Year
Young Grampian Chef of the Year
UK Skills runner up
Craft Guild of Chefs’ Graduate Awards

David Mulcahy, vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, said: “The standard of dishes served up by young chefs impresses the judges year on year which is why we seed through only the highest calibre of young talent the UK has to offer.”

Last year’s award was won by Danny Hoang, a commis chef at Colette’s at The Grove Hotel in Watford.

Hoang said: “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.”

This year Mark Sargeant will return as ambassador for the award.

The chef said: “It's always an absolute pleasure to be involved with YNCOTY and to witness the competition go from strength to strength. Each year the standards get higher and I'm really looking forward to seeing what talent this year’s competition brings.”

This year’s winner will be revealed along with the National Chef of the Year at an awards ceremony following The Restaurant Show on 4 October 2016.