Finalists announced for the Craft Guild of Chefs NCOTY 2020

The Craft Guild of Chefs has announced the list of finalists for the 2020 National Chef of the Year competition. 

Nick Edgar, head chef at The Ryebeck Hotel, Derek Johnstone, head chef at Borthwick Castle, Ben Boeynaems, head chef at The Zetter Hotel, Harry Kirkpatrick, sous chef, Trinity Restaurant, Karl O’Dell, head chef at Texture London and Nick Smith, head chef at Vacherin are the  six lucky chefs to join the list of finalists in the 2020 National Chef of the Year competition. 

They will join Marc Billings, sous chef at Prestwold Hall, Fraser Bruce, head chef at The Halsetown Inn, Mehdi Lahmadi, junior sous chef at Coworth Park Hotel and Steve Groves, head chef from Roux at Parliament Square in the finals, which will take place at The Restaurant Show on Tuesday 1st October after the chefs are given the brief on Tuesday 10th September.

• Why you should enter the National Chef of the Year competition, blog by Kuba Winkowski
• Kuba Winkowski is National Chef of the Year 2019
• Chefs Michael Caines, Pascal Canevet, Rick Owens and Andrew Clarke amongst winners honoured at Craft Guild of Chefs 26th annual awards

David Mulcahy, vice president of The Craft Guild of Chefs said the NCOTY, as well as the YNCOTY competitions have gone "from strength to strength," giving new and exciting opportunities to those who take part.  

"As the biggest culinary challenge in the UK, these competitions continue to go from strength to strength providing new and exciting opportunities. Those who follow Kuba Winkowski will have seen the incredible year he is having as the title holder. This year’s finalists will have to impress an inspiring list of judges including Clare Smyth, Jonny Lake, Claude Bosi, Philip Howard and Chantelle Nicholson.”

As for the YNCOTY finalists, Jordon Powell won his heat in Sheffield to become the first finalist, followed by George Harding, senior chef de partie at The Atlantic Hotel at Le Cordon Bleu heat, as well as Bethan Disley-Jones, apprentice pastry chef, The Art School Liverpool, Gercelynn Mae Dionio, demi chef de partie at Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Sion Hughes, chef de partie at Carden Park Hotel & Spa and William Keeble, demi chef de partie from Whatley Manor, The Wilderness sous-chef, Ben Cowley,  British Culinary Federation Chef of the Year Matthew Nicholls, and Sam Everton.

The final place will be given to the winner of the Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence which will be announced in July.