The competition is for professional cooks and catering college students to design a three-course gluten-free meal for two people, with a live cook-off for three finalists in each group, which will take place at the Unilever Food Solutions Culinary Business Development Centre in Leatherhead.
Once again entrants will be showcasing their skills by including gluten-free substitutes such as bread, pasta or batter cooked from scratch at the final.
For the fourth year, the competition is being run in association with the Institute of Hospitality and the Craft Guild of Chefs.
The competition has two categories: Gluten-free Chef of the Year for professional chefs over the age of 23, and the Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year for catering students and trainee chefs under the age of 23. After an extensive first round of blind judging, the following have been named as the three finalists from each category:
Gluten-free Chef of the Year
• Christopher Bridge from Keswick, head chef at Charlotte’s View Restaurant at Ravenstone Manor
• Thomas Fallows from Burnley, assistant chef at Hindelinis at Ribblesdale Park and also studying Professional Cookery Level 2 VRQ at Accrington & Rossendale College
• Carol Salisbury from Renfrew in Scotland, chef manager at 1 Call Direct
Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year
• Aaron Bosdet-Kitchener from Northampton, who is studying Certificate Culinary Skills Level 2 at Northampton College
• Jonathan Farmer from Norwich studying VRQ Level 2 Professional Cookery at City College Norwich
• Kathryn Holmes from Northampton, who is studying Professional Chefs Diploma Level 2 VRQ at Northampton College
The judges said: “After much consideration, the six finalists who are shortlisted demonstrated both creativity and a clear understanding of the kinds of dishes people with coeliac disease would like to choose when eating out. It’s really exciting to see such talented chefs developing great gluten-free cuisine and we are very much looking forward to seeing them showcasing their gluten-free cooking skills at the live cook off.”
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK added: “At least 1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, representing a potential £100m market amongst those diagnosed with the condition and the friends and family they eat out with.
"The appetite for delivering gluten-free options in the catering sector is growing fast, as the recent take up of the charity’s new catering accreditation by a number of high street restaurants shows. With a growing market to service the hundreds of thousands of people looking for gluten-free options, the demand for skilled chefs will boom and this competition showcases the best of the talent out there.”
The prize for the Gluten-free Chef of the Year is a week long stage at two Michelin starred Gleneagles working under executive chef Andrew Fairlie, with accommodation included. The prize for the Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year is a week long stage at Michelin-starred The Pass at South Lodge with chef Matt Gillan, with accommodation included.
Additional prizes provided by Sodexo and 3663 include gift vouchers and knives, and all finalists will receive a year’s membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs.