Entries are now open!

We are very pleased to open the entries for the 2022 competition, enabling the talented chefs and home cooks of the South West to cook for our judges again after a pandemic-enforced break of two years!

Lead sponsor: Bidfood

Pictured above: 2019 South West Chef of the Year, Ed Marsh, with head judge and competition co-founder, Michael Caines MBE

Entries are now open in the following categories:

• Professional Chef – any age, working as a sous chef/pastry chef or above – sponsored by Ritter Courivaud and Ritter Fresh
• Young Professional Chef – aged 19-24, working in any role in the kitchen up to and including junior sous chef – sponsored by Essential Cuisine
• Student/Apprentice Chef – aged 16-19 and at college or in an apprenticeship – sponsored by Michael Caines Ltd.
• Home Cook – aged 16+ and never having worked or trained in the catering industry

Entries for the category for Junior Chefs (aged 11-16) have already closed and the county heats are currently taking place.

To enter, simply send us your recipes, including the full method and photographs of each dish, for your two-course menu incorporating the compulsory ingredients outlined in this year’s brief.  For details of the brief, click on the category you wish to enter above.

Our judges have selected the protein ingredients that they would like you to incorporate into your menu and ask that other ingredients used are locally produced, wherever possible.

After the judges have decided upon the winners of each category, one category winner will then be chosen as the winner of the Overall South West Chef of the Year award, kindly sponsored by Lactalis Professional.

In addition to the individual category awards, a range of further awards are also available to our finalists:

• Best Menu
• Best Fish Dish
• Best Meat Dish
• Best Dessert
• Best Presentation
• Best Showcase of Regional Ingredients

Entries close at midnight on Wednesday 17^th August 2022.

Good luck!