The Craft Guild of Chefs has revealed the ten finalists selected to compete in the prestigious Young National Chef of the Year final this autumn, with chefs in hotels settings making up the majority of the shortlist.

Due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19, the selection process has been tweaked for this year. Rather than some of the chefs gaining a top ten spot through a semi-final stage, Head Judge, Hrishikesh Desai and organiser of the competition, David Mulcahy, have handpicked the finalists based on recommendations from industry experts. The final decision on the line-up has come after extensive research and guidance from other leading chef competitions or industry associations.

The ten finalists are:

• Nathan Lane, Chef De Partie, The Greenhouse, Dublin
• Charlie Crote, Junior Sous Chef, Allegra, London
• Ieuan Andrew Davies, Chef De Partie, Manor House, Lincolnshire
• Dervis Mustafa, Demi Chef De Partie, Petrus, London
• Jamaar Semper-House, Junior Sous Chef, Lucknam Park Hotel (Restaurant Hywel Jones), Wiltshire
• Harry Paynter-Roberts, Commis Chef, Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Ormskirk
• Rebecca Mary Jackson, Junior Sous Chef, Leila Lily’s, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Eden Allsworth, Demi Chef De Partie, Cliveden Hotel, Maidenhead
• Sagar Massey, Sous Chef, Mar Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, Bishopton
• Jacob Gosselin, Demi Chef, Longueville Manor Hotel and Restaurant, Jersey

“When we began planning the campaign to find our next winner, we could never have predicted the situation we’d find ourselves in. However, one thing has remained the same throughout this crisis and that’s our determination to ensure that this competition goes ahead. We have been listening to the Government guidance throughout and safety remains our top priority, whilst giving the industry reasons to celebrate,” says David Mulcahy, Vice-President of the Craft Guild of Chefs.

“The Craft Guild of Chefs has been determined to support the young chef community throughout this crisis. By personally inviting each finalist to get involved we know we have an incredible list of chefs lined-up. The brief will be fully revealed at the end of June, but it will have particular focus on sustainability as we team up with headline sponsor, Knorr Professional, and celebrate its inspiring ‘Future 50’ initiative.”

Desai comments: “Just looking at this list of chefs I know it’s going to be an exciting final. I’ll be challenging the young chefs to be creative and making sure that excellence still prevails this year, regardless of the changes to the format. The criteria will be engaging with the spotlight on produce, sustainability and skills. After a difficult 2020, I can’t wait to bring our judges together for a unique and memorable final.”

The cook-off will take place on Monday 7th September 2020 at Le Cordon Bleu, with the final then aired as part of the ‘Hospitality Unites’ week on Tuesday 29th September. Chefs and supporters will be able to find out the winner on Wednesday 30th September, when a live online announcement will follow the coverage of the National Chef of the Year competition.