The City of Oxford Guild of Chefs' Junior Chef of the Year Competition is all about discovering and recognising talent across the Oxfordshire area.
With the annual competition returning for a fourth year on April 1st 2026, we invite junior professional chefs based in Oxfordshire to enter for a chance to be in the 2026 cohort of this prestigious competition.
We look forward to welcoming chefs, showcasing talent, and strengthening participants' experience in the industry.
Renowned chefs Pierre Koffmann, Ben Murphy and Gary Jones will also be at the competition to mentor attendees and oversee the competition!
If you are new to the industry (under 4 years experience), are passionate, and have a zest for creativity, why not enter this exciting competition?
Watch the video of the 2024 competition below or by clicking here!
Five winners:
- Meat canapé
- Fish canapé
- Vegetarian canapé
- Plant-based canapé
- One overall winner
The winners will be invited to the annual City of Oxford Guild of Chefs Gala Dinner. This black tie event will be held at St Edmund Hall (Teddy Hall) on Saturday 18th April 2026. After serving their winning canapés at the welcome drinks reception for up to 170 guests, the winners will be given their awards and prizes by internationally renowned chefs.
The winning canapés will be prepared off-site with all ingredients provided, and then brought to St Edmund Hall for serving.
The winners will then be invited to the Ox In A Box Food Awards on Monday 18th May to serve their canapes at the welcome drinks reception for up to 200 guests.
Competitors are required to produce four selections of canapés (8 canapes in each selection) - one meat, one fish, one vegetarian and one plant-based. They must do this within three hours.
Each canapé category must be created using pre-determined ingredients, which are displayed in the turquoise box below. Each canapé has one mandatory ingredient which must be used. The other listed ingredients are optional. Contestants must stick to each canapés list of pre determined ingredients - no additional ingredients are allowed.
Contestants can bring any equipment that they wish. Please note all ingredients are provided.
Candidates are encouraged to focus on sustainability and environmental impact when designing their canapés.
These canapés will be produced and judged by a panel of judges at the City of Oxford College on Wednesday 1st April 2026. The winners will be announced on the day!
At the City of Oxford Guild of Chefs, we’re committed to sourcing local and fresh ingredients, through our partnerships with local suppliers. Locally grown food is of great quality, supports the local economy, and is kind to the environment. That's why we're proud to be using locally produced ingredients for the competition.
Each canapé has a mandatory ingredient which must be used for that canapé. Per canapé, you have 7 other ingredients listed which you can use for that canapé only. You cannot use anything outside of each canapés list. This means you cannot bring your own ingredients and you cannot use ingredients on one canapés list for another (e.g. you can use maple syrup for the meat canapé but not in any other):
1) Meat
Mandatory Ingredient: Wild Venison Topside
Other ingredients: Celeriac, Chicory, Rhubard, Sage, Maple Syrup, Morello Cherries and baby onions
2) Fish
Mandatory ingredient: Mackerel
Other ingredients: Beetroot, cucumber, lemon, sorrel, soy sauce, ginger, and fresh horseradish
3) Vegetarian
Mandatory ingredient: Barkham Blue
Other ingredients: Walnut, black garlic, pear, chives, honey, celery, and red onion
4) Plant-based
Mandatory ingredient: Oxfordshire Leeks
Other ingredients: Jersey Royals, asparagus, quinoa, tarragon, hazelnut, dijon mustard, St George mushroom
We will also be providing the below pantry ingredients which can be used across all canapés:
Salt, pepper, plain flour, self-raising flour, butter, plant butter, white wine vinegar, milk, rapeseed oil, sugar, eggs, double cream.
Importantly, each canapé MUST contain it's stated mandatory ingredient on the previous page.
- Gain invaluable experience
- Strengthen your culinary skillset
- A chance to be recognised within the industry
- Challenge yourself and grow as an individual
- Network with internationally renowned chefs
There will be photographs taken during the competition and will be used on various platforms.
Candidates will be contacted by email if your application is successful.
Please reach out to oxfordguildofchefs@outlook.com if you have any questions.
