Scottish duo clinch Toque d’Or 2026 titles

Two Scottish students have been crowned the winners of Nestlé Professional’s Toque d’Or competition 2026.

 

Nathan Derek Short from City of Glasgow College triumphed for back of house, while the front of house victory went to Declan Sloan of Ayrshire College.

 

Short and Sloan were presented their trophies during a ceremony held at London’s Church House on 12 June, after beating 10 other finalists to the titles.

 

Their prizes are a gastronomic trip to Scandinavia, plus each winning college received an additional £1,000 in prize funding, awarded through the Savoy Educational Trust’s wider £21,200 grant.

 

Short said: “Thank you to all my lecturers, all the people that I’ve met in industry, all my friends, just everyone that has taught me and helped me get this. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

 

He said he entered the competition to better himself, adding: “I really wanted to be able to cook under pressure and handle tough situations, because we’re given all secret challenges, you don’t know what you’re going into.”

 

Short’s ambition is to travel the world and experience “any kind of food culture I can, because there’s so much out there that you don’t know about yet”.

 

His lecturer Gemma Slater added: “Nathan started as a very quiet, shy student back at level 6 for his professional cookery and to see him standing here today winning this is absolutely amazing and we’re all so proud of him.”

 

Sloan joked after his victory: “I think the only thing that can top this is Scotland winning the World Cup!”

 

His goal is to own his own bar, and he’s already earmarked Prestwick as a possible location, to benefit from student spend.

 

Sloan believes the Toque d’Or competition is “a massive step into the industry” and prior to being announced as a winner, added that clinching the crown “would not only show my dedication to the craft of front of house and service, but it would definitely show the skills that I have to be at the top of the game”.

 

Earlier in proceedings, Joshua Trott and Lewis McLeman, both from Loughborough College, were announced as Green Spatula Award winners, recognising their dedication to sustainability, while Amelia Osborne from Barnsley College was presented with the Social Media Award.

 

All 12 students competed in finals week on 10-14 May, having come through a field of 48 in the national heats at the Grand hotel’s cookery school in York on 9-12 March.

 

Day one took them to Picks Barn farm in Rutland for a challenge centred around the ‘farm to fork’ philosophy. The back of house finalists had to make a tart and design a garnish for the farm café’s best-selling brownies, while front of house competitors had to elevate customers’ dining experience through informed wine pairing.

 

The second day saw the finalists head to the O2 arena in London, catered by Levy, with back of house competitors tasked with creating two dishes, one plant-based and one venison, with one served hot and the other cold, inside two hours. Meanwhile, front of house competitors were challenged to create four drinks, using Carnation, Nescafé and Maggi products, inspired by Bubble CiTea, the British bubble tea brand founded in 2013.

 

On day three the students worked with Red Engine, the operator of the Electric Shuffle and Flight Club competitive socialising brands. Back of house competitors had to create one dish using pizza dough as the core ingredient and another dish of loaded fries. The front of house challenge was to craft two signature cocktails, including one using Nescafé espresso concentrate, and one innovative mocktail.

 

The finalists were then treated to a tour of London’s Borough Market and then a behind-the-scenes dining experience at Hide restaurant in Mayfair.

 

The week culminated in a fine dining challenge at Sally Abé’s new Teal restaurant in London’s Hackney. Back of house were tasked with creating a three-course ‘Great British Menu’, including a dessert course of chocolate and cherry trifle replicating Sally Abé’s own recipe, while front of house competitors had to pair their partner chef’s menu with a sustainable UK wine selection, expertly brewed coffee and deliver impeccable service. The menu was served in a fine dining restaurant setting to a room of industry experts, including Steve Munkley, vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, Jupiter Humphrey-Bishop, winner of the 2023 Gold Service Scholarship and footman at the Royal Household, Gary Schofield, industry manager for hospitality and catering at City & Guilds, and Graeme Colley, associate director of catering and events at King’s College London. 

 

The judging panel was led by Abé, chef Kate Austen and hospitality professional Andy Downton, with Austen commenting: “I was so impressed with the finalists, they showed a huge amount of technique and were so professional.

 

“I think we take for granted what it’s like to turn up to a kitchen that you’ve never been in. It’s an unfamiliar setting and what they did was very special.”

 

Last year’s winners, Thomas Brassington from Loughborough College and Katie Blundell from Hugh Baird College, also joined the judging panel.

 

Lorenzo Viganò, managing director of Nestlé Professional UK&I, said: “Toque d’Or is about far more than competition. It’s about giving young people the confidence, experience and industry insight to thrive in hospitality careers. Throughout Grand Finals Week, this year’s competitors showed remarkable professionalism, creativity and determination, while embracing the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of our industry. 

 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see how much the finalists grow over the course of the competition, and we’re proud to work alongside our partners to help nurture the next generation of hospitality talent. Congratulations to all this year’s finalists and, of course, to our two outstanding winners.”