Entries are now open for the Scottish Culinary Championships, which will be held at Glasgow’s SEC on February 26 and 27 next year, as part of the ScotHot trade show.
The contest promises to deliver ‘an exhilarating showcase of culinary talent’, giving chefs across all levels of experience and industry sectors a chance to put their skills to the test on a live stage.
The Live Theatre stage competitions are based around eight workstations, and will be a continuous hub of culinary action as chefs compete in fast-paced, back-to-back cooking challenges suited to all skill levels.
Competitions include a Food for Life challenge open to public sector caterers to create a healthy main course, a risotto challenge sponsored by Riso Gallo UK, and a street food challenge sponsored by Braehead Foods among others.
The main event will be the final of the Scottish Chef of the Year 2025 Competition, sponsored by Lomond Foods, with finalists asked to create a four-course meal within a two hour window.
Meanwhile the Skills Arena, supporting the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship and HIT Scotland, is tailored for newcomers to the industry, including cold live classes and front-of-house skills tests aimed at helping students, apprentices, and other trainees hone essential skills.
An ideal stepping stone for chefs and service staff at the start of their careers, there are no age restrictions on entry to Skills Arena contests. This year’s schedule includes a cocktail mixology competition, a Scotch lamb challenge and a fruit and veg preparation competition.
There will also be Culinary Art Competitions, allowing chefs to demonstrate their creativity across edible mediums.
Classes in sugar craft, pastry, kitchen larder, restaurant plates, and food photography will provide all attendees with an array of culinary exhibits, from floral sugar craft to a chocolate showpiece and afternoon tea selection.
For 2025, equipment for the Scottish Culinary Championships will be provided by leading catering manufacturer Atosa.
ScotHot, described as Scotland’s premier showcase for food, drink, hospitality, retail, and tourism, enjoyed a record-breaking show in 2023, attracting over 7500 industry delegates.
ScotHot 2025 is poised to build on that success as a showcase of Scotland’s vibrant food and hospitality sectors. Visitors can look forward to exploring technology trends, networking with industry leaders, and witnessing top-tier culinary competitions, including the Scottish Chef of the Year, Culinary Arts, and Liquid Academy Live.
Additionally, the event will feature ScotHot’s Innovation Awards and the Great Taste Market.
Scottish Culinary Championships director Neil Thomson said: “This year marks the 50th year I have been involved in the Scottish Culinary Championships, and I still look forward to this week with the same excitement as I did in 1975.
“The 2023 competitions were the most successful in recent years, and we’re confident that 2025 will build on that success with the introduction of some new innovative competitions to attract some of Scotland’s finest culinary talent.”
Managing director of 365 Events, the team behind ScotHot25, Toby Wand, said: “ScotHot continues to be a must-attend event for the food, drink, and hospitality industries – and the Scottish Culinary Championships always prove to be a highlight of the show, watching chefs in their element do what they do best.
As well as supporting HIT Scotland and the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship, sponsors of the 2025 Scottish Culinary Championships include Atosa UK, Lomond Foods, Quality Meat Scotland, The Scotch Beef Club, Food for Life and Soil Association Scotland, Riso Gallo UK, Bellhaven Smokehouse, Braehead Foods, Clarks Speciality Foods, and Wellocks.
Entries to the championships are now open, with a deadline of January 31, 2025 – but note that the Scottish Chef of the Year entries close earlier, on January 13, 2025.
To enter, visit https://www.scothot.co.uk/scottish-culinary-championships
