River Cottage on the hunt for young culinary talent

The winner of the competition will also become the face of River Cottage’s Young Chef Apprentice Scheme, helping promote the scheme to their peers by starring in videos and cooking for esteemed guests.

To enter the competition, youngsters need to upload a video to YouTube demonstrating their love for food and ambition to become a chef.

The most popular eight videos and two ‘wildcards’ selected by the River Cottage Team will be interviewed by a judging panel including Gill Meller, Gary Richmond, Harriet Wild and last year’s winner Sam Lomas.

Five finalists will then be selected for a live culinary final judged by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Chris Griffin, head of education at River Cottage said: "We are very excited about the return of Rising Star. Last year’s contestants overwhelmed us with their level of cooking ability and enthusiasm and proved that the culinary ambition of 16 – 24 year olds is impressive. We eagerly wait to see what masterpieces this year’s entrants will come up with!"

River Cottage apprenticeships​

River Cottage launched its Rising Star competition last year to coincide with the launch of its Chefs’ School.

Participants in the River Cottage Young Chef Apprentice Scheme spend a year studying at the Chefs’ School while working in placements at restaurants, pubs and hotels across the South West.

Over 74 apprentices have enrolled in the scheme in the past 12 months, with the first 11 graduates completing the programme in June.

River Cottage founder, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said: “There is an enduring, knowledge-for-life quality to this kind of learning that cannot be replicated outside the workplace.

“Our apprentices often cite the confidence-boosting, stimulating, varied nature of their apprenticeship along with the enriched and accelerated learning process as the key to building a successful career.”

The River Cottage Rising Star competition is open until Monday 11 August.