Craft Guild of Chefs opens entries for Graduate Awards 2025

The Craft Guild of Chefs has opened entries for the Graduate Awards 2025, which is open to chefs under the age of 25 as of 1 September 2025.

The competition, which is now in its 23rd year, is dedicated to seeking and fostering young, professional talent in the industry.

For the first time in the competition’s history, nine former Graduate Awards achievers will be on-hand throughout the year to answer questions about the process.

Chefs can therefore receive support from both their workplace mentor and Graduate Awards ‘Champions’.

Former National Chef of the Year Ben Murphy will continue as chair of the Kitchen Graduate Award, while Sarah Frankland, executive chef at Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa, will be leading the Pastry Graduate Award for a second year.

Steve Munkley, founder of the Graduate Awards and Education and Training Award winner at the 2023 Cateys, said: “The Graduate Awards is all about chefs supporting chefs and it can add so much value to a young chef’s or pastry chef’s career progression. We know that sometimes chefs lack confidence when it comes to entering events, and we want to ensure that candidates feel they have support at every stage.”

Chefs can enter by completing the online entry form before Monday 31 March.

Candidates will be required to take a paper-based exam and participate in practical challenges over the course of the competition.

There are no limits to the number of chefs who can pass the Graduate Awards. 

Graduates of the Kitchen Award will also win the chance to compete in the Young National Chef of the Year 2026.

The Craft Guild of Chefs is believed to be the largest chefs’ association in the UK.