The competition, which is open to some of the country’s best up and coming talent, will kick-off with two semi-finals held at Sheffield College on 11 June and Le Cordon Bleu in London on 18 June.
The winners of The British Culinary Federation, The Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence, World Skills UK and The Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards will be automatically seeded places in the final.
Twenty semi-finalists will be chosen from young chefs who have impressed in the following competitions:
• South West Young Chef of the Year
• North West Young Chef of the Year
• The Junior Chef of Wales
• Young North East Chef of the Year
• UK Skills runner up
• Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards Achievers
• Chaine des Rotisseurs Young Chef
• Young Scottish Chef of the Year
The overall 2020 winner will be announced following a live final at The Restaurant Show on 1 October.
The 2019 winner was chef Henry Wadsworth, formerly of Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, who has since joined Clare Smyth’s Core in London.
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House executive chef Hrishikesh Desai, who won the senior title in 2010, has taken over from Mark Sargeant as chairman of judges.
“I’ve reached a stage in my career where I can offer advice, support and expertise to young talent and YNCOTY is one of the biggest culinary stages in the world for chefs to showcase what they have to offer,” says Desai.
Former YNCOTY winners include Launceston Place head chef Ben Murphy, Lords of the Manor head chef Charles Smith, and Ruth Hansom - who previously cooked at The Ritz and appeared on BBC's Million Pound Menu.
