Craft Guild of Chefs looking to fill seven spaces on the Graduate Awards for 2023
The Craft Guild of Chefs has opened applications to fill seven remaining spaces for the Graduate Awards, with the aim of celebrating 100 recipients in 2023.
Over the past 20 years, the guild has recognised the achievements of 93 chefs who passed the mark to join the Graduate Awards ‘hall of fame'. These include chefs Ruth Hansom at the Swinton Estate and Luke Selby at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.
The awards were established to provide young chefs in the early stages of their career with the opportunity to enhance the skills they learned at college and tailor them for the workplace.
Recognition in the Graduate Awards will also give the chefs the chance to progress to Young National Chef of the Year.
Chefs aged under 25 on 1 September 2023 are invited to complete the online form here that will enable them to enter for the kitchen or pastry chef award.
Submissions will close by midnight on 19 April.
The Pastry Graduate Award will be led by Will Torrent and Sarah Frankland and are aimed at young pastry chefs, chocolatiers or level 3 students.
Ben Murphy, who was crowned National Chef of the Year, has been newly appointed as chair of examiners for the Kitchen Graduate Award.
Those submitting applications do not have to be members of the Craft Guild of Chefs.
Finalists for both categories will be taken on a two-day food tour of Suffolk in July, during which they will visit Aspalls Cider, Dingley Dell Farm, Pump Street Bakery and experience butchery, fishmongery and dessert demonstrations at Infusions4Chefs.
Steve Munkley, founder of the Graduate Awards and vice-president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, said: "Following our 20th anniversary celebrations last year, we are now just seven chefs away from celebrating 100 Graduate Awards achievers, and our committee are determined to push through that goal this year."
Murphy, who is also chef patron at Launceston Place, added: "Having entered the award myself, and mentored chefs through the experience, I know what a massive difference it can make to someone in the early stages of their career. It is vital that senior chefs support and inspire young people to help them develop their skills and ensure the hospitality industry continues to thrive."
