Young Chef of the Year Competition | Young chef competition

Key Dates

The Young Chef of the Year Competition opens for entries on Monday, 27th April 2026.
The deadline for applications is Friday, 22^nd May 2026 at 12 noon.
Candidates will have to submit a social media post and written entry in the form of a recipe by Friday, 22^ndMay 2026 at 12 noon.
Results of the written stage will be announced by Monday 1^st June 2026 with a list of candidates who are going through to the interviews.
Interviews will be held on Monday/Tuesday 8/9 June 2026 on zoom
The Semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday 5th July 2026
The Young Chef of the Year Finals and Gala scheduled for Sunday 11^th October 2026

How to Enter

Read all the important information about the competition here General Guidelines
Fill out the form below to enter the competition. Make sure you submit this form AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and fill in all required fields.
Once you have submitted your entry form, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with a link password to submit your written recipe.
With your written entry, you will be asked for a picture of the dish you are submitting.
You are requested to post that dish on Instagram and tag @eurotoques_ireland using the hashtag #YC2026entry.
Submit the form below asap, so you can start working on your recipe right away. The social media post and written recipe must BOTH be submitted by 22 May.
Make sure your Instagram account is PUBLIC, not private. If the account is private, we will not be able to tag you and repost your content.

The overarching theme for the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2026 competition is:

Community at the table: from place to plate

This year’s theme is about community, who you cook for, where your food comes from, and how everything connects. We’re asking you to think about the people around your table today: your guests, your suppliers, your producers, and your wider food community. The ingredients you choose should support that community and reflect what’s around you.

Heritage is also part of the theme. This could be where you’re from, or where you are now. It’s about taking inspiration from your roots, traditions, and experiences, and using them to create food that makes sense today. Food is always shaped by its surroundings, by what’s local, what’s in season, and what’s available. Sustainability isn’t just about sourcing responsibly; it’s about using what’s around you in a thoughtful and practical way.

We want you to join the dots:

connect your heritage with the present
connect producers with the plate
connect people through food

At its core, this theme asks you to think about:

Who are you cooking for?
Where does your food come from?
How does your dish reflect the community around you?

Community at the table is about bringing people together, using what surrounds you, and creating food with meaning.

Young chef form 2026

Name*
Surname*
Email*
CONFIRM EMAIL*
MOBILE PHONE*
RE-ENTER MOBILE PHONE*
DATE OF BIRTH*
DD slash MM slash YYYY

In order to enter the competition you must be born after 01-01-1998. you must be aged 18-28 from the time you enter the competition to the end of the same year (must be 28 or under on 31 Dec 2026)
Your Instagram address*
Your Twitter address
Your TikTok address
Current place of work*
Name of your mentor throughout the competition*
Email address of your mentor*
Telephone number of your mentor*
Instagram address of your mentor*
Twitter address of your mentor
Instagram address of your place of work*
Twitter address of your place of work
I am a professional chef I wish to be contacted about further stages of the competition I would like to be added to the Euro-Toques mailing list and receive details of other events & activities for chefs organised by Euro-Toques Ireland. (Your contact details will not be shared with anyone else)*
*
- Please tick to confirm you have read and understood our privacy policy