Live Theatre

RC1 Food for Life Challenge

40-minute competition

Sponsored by  

Open to caterers working in the public sector only.

Cookery competition open to all public sector caterers working in: local authorities, universities, public workplaces, care providers, prisons, hospitals, and visitor attractions.

The brief is to create and serve a main course dish (two (2) portions) which would be appropriate for a public sector establishment in 40 minutes. We would like caterers to include the following in this challenge, inspired by the Food for Life Served Here certification standards:

• Freshly prepared, healthy and sustainable ingredients.
• Highlight seasonal and local products.
• If including animal products, use farm-assured meat (Red Tractor, QMS, RSCPA, etc), sustainable fish, (MSC, MCS ‘Fish to Eat’) and free-range eggs.
• Competitors should also indicate how this dish minimises food waste in preparation and consumption.

On the day Judges will be awarding points for:

1. Taste
2. Appearance
3. Texture
4. Following the brief

Judges will award a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and the winner will receive a £100 voucher.

To enter applicants should register their interest through the online entry form and then email Cora on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 200 words describing how the dish meets the brief. The judging panel will then select eight (8) finalists to compete in this exciting challenge.

Food for Life Scotland would like to ensure the competition is open to all public sector caterers: Entries will be free of charge and Food for Life Scotland can arrange for ingredient costs to be covered up to £25.

RC3 Risotto Challenge

60-minute competition

Sponsored by  

Riso Gallo UK are delighted to once again be part of the fantastic line-up for ScotHot 2025 and look forward to welcoming competitors from around the country to the signature Scottish National Heat for Young Risotto Chef UK and Ireland.

Now in its 8th year, and open to chefs aged 17 – 23 who are still in education, competitors are invited to submit a comprehensive risotto recipe, including ingredients, method breakdown and a photo, plus a comment on what inspired them to create their particular dish. Once selected to compete at ScotHot, competitors will then have 60 minutes to cook and present two (2) dishes of their risotto dish.

The heat winner will go through to the Young Risotto Chef Grand Final to be held at Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium in early June and will have the opportunity to compete for an all expenses paid four day Stage with renowned chef Fabio Pisani and his team at the Michelin starred Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia in Milan, Italy. The grand final runner-up will receive an all expenses paid three day Stage at the Italian Embassy in London.

Please register your entry on the ScotHot entry platform www.scothot.co.uk/scottish-culinary-championships and then email Cora Strachan your full entry information – recipe, photo and inspiration behind your menu – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

RC2 Scottish Young Chefs Ambassadors
(Team of Two Competitors)

50-minute competition

Sponsored by  

Open only to Scottish Young Chef Ambassadors.

This competition is restricted to teams of apprentice chefs or students who should work together to showcase fish filleting skills and use the fish to produce two (2) portions of Sole Veronique.

Stage 1: Student one will have 20 minutes to prepare one (1) whole lemon sole. The fillets will be used in the second stage.

Stage 2: Student two will have 30 minutes to produce two (2) portions of classic Sole Veronique (reference Escoffier). The dish must include green peeled, de-stoned grapes and a glazed pastry fleuron, pomme cocotte eight (8) pieces and sauteed spinach.

This competition must include recipe and detailed time plan.

SC1 Scottish Chefs of the Year 2025

180-minutes competition, plus 30-minutes set-up

Sponsored by  

The Scottish Chef of the Year will be judged under Worldchefs Culinary Competition Guidelines.
www.worldchefs.org/CulinaryRules/

Prior to the Final, all competitors will be invited to attend a meeting with members of the jury and to meet the sponsor. This will be held at the offices of The Lomond Wholesale Food Co.
www.lomondwholesale.co.uk, date to be confirmed.

Eight (8) Finalists will be invited to compete with the winner receiving:

• The Scottish Chef of The Year Trophy
• Medal and Scottish Chef of the Year Winner Diploma
• An award of £2,000.00

Prizes will be awarded to the other Finalists as follows

• 2nd Prize of £1,000.00, Medal and Diploma
• 3rd Prize of £500.00, Medal and Diploma

All remaining finalists will receive £100.00 and Diploma

180 Minutes will be given to complete four (4) courses.

This year we are looking for chefs to submit their entries along with photographs of all four (4) courses.

Entries will not be accepted unless they are complete.

AMUSE BOUCHE

1^st course – to produce a hot starter using fish or shellfish or a combination of both.

2^nd course – to produce a main course using two (2) cuts of venison with appropriate garnish and sauces.

3^rd Course – dessert using Valrhona chocolate which must be the main item of the dessert and must include appropriate garnish and sauce. Judges will be looking for different textures and contrast in temperatures.

The Scottish Chefs Culinary Committee will then paper judge and select the best, well-balanced and creative menus, we will then advise you if you have been successful in gaining a place at the final at ScotHot.

Three hours cooking time will be allocated with ½ hour set up time. All competitors are asked to produce an Amuse Bouche for the judges within 30 minutes of the start of the competition. 50% of the mise-en-place for this can be done in advance. The amuse
should tell a story and represent your personality.

Competitors are permitted a commis chef to help, carry and assist, but not cook. (The commis chef must not be older than the competitor). Competitors are to supply all ingredients and light equipment. We remind competitors that space will be different to your day-to-day environment so please bear this in mind when planning your menu and what electrical appliances you will require. You must list the electrical equipment on your
entry as there may be a limit to what can be used on the day.

The use of tabletop BBQs are prohibited as they are not covered by the SECC’s H&S policy.

Judges will mark on the following criteria:

• Presentation and content of your submitted entry
• Seasonality, sustainability, provenance, working methods, professional techniques, modern culinary skills, hygiene practices and kitchen management, timing, balance of textures and flavours.

Permitted Mise-en-Place:

• Washed and peeled vegetables and fruit, not cut or shaped.
• Base stocks not reduced.
• No finished sauces. Judges will ask to taste your stock prior to competing
• Weighed ingredients: All protein, ie fish, meat, game must be on the bone. Shellfish must be whole.
• Uncooked pastry puff pastry

Deadline for entries: Monday 13th January 2025

SC2 Sustainable Fish Dish

45-minutes competition

Sponsored by 

45 minutes will be allowed to prepare, cook and present an original fish dish using sustainable Scottish species, for four (4) covers. Shellfish may only be used as a garnish and not as a main item and should therefore not predominate. Advance preparation should be kept to a minimum. All Ingredients and equipment to be supplied by the competitor. All fish used should be classed as sustainable using the Marine Conservation
Society Good Fish Guide as a reference. Belhaven Smokehouse are happy to supply smoked products from their product range for use in the competition. Please contact them on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss.

Sustainability will be judged on species, seasonality, availability and catch methods. All entries must be supplied with menus, recipes, method and photographs, as they will be subject to a first stage of paper judging to choose the final eight (8) competitors who will competeat ScotHot.

OC1 Scottish Chefs Street Food Challenge
(Team of Two Competitors)

60-minutes competition

Sponsored by 

Competitors will be given 60 minutes to prepare cook and present the following.

• Two (2) portions of modern street food chicken based
• Two (2) portions of modern style seafood / shellfish bowl food
• Two (2) portions of vegetarian street food
• Two (2) portions of a dessert

Mise en place must be kept to a minimum. The judges are looking for modern, creative dishes served in traditional street food style containers as if you were purchasing from a street food vendor.

OC3 Gressingham Duck Mystery Basket

45-minutes competition, plus 15 minutes set-up

Sponsored by 

You are asked to produce two (2) portions of a Gressingham duck main course in 45 minutes from a mystery basket of ingredients. The ingredient list will be given to the competitors 45 minutes before commencement of the competition. It will consist of Gressingham duck and a choice of primary ingredients for the accompaniments. There will also be a larder table where chefs can choose additional ingredients.

Once competitors have submitted their dish descriptions to the judges, they can commence with weighing out their ingredients and will be allowed onto station 15 minutes prior to the start of their competition. All small equipment [including a set of weighing scales] and containers for the ingredients is the responsibility of the competitor.

OC5 Fine Dining / Brasserie Main Course Challenge

60-minutes competition

Sponsored by 

To prepare, cook and present four (4) portions of the same plated main course dish suitable for fine dining/brasserie menu within 60 minutes. Competitors are responsible for supplying all food and small equipment. Competitors are required to have a printed menu with allergens and a complete printed recipe of the main course on their workstation. Acceptable mise-en-place: Peeled vegetables only, pre-marinated meats, raw uncooked fresh pastry (puff, filo and short). No pre-prepared sauces or stocks are allowed.

OC2 Plated Dessert

45-minutes competition

Sponsored by   

The competitor has 45 minutes to produce four (4) portions of a hot plated dessert of their choice with appropriate garnish and sauces which may include an ice cream or sorbet. The dessert must include Valrhona chocolate as the main component within the recipe.

The chocolate will be supplied by Valrhona for the competitors, but all other ingredients must be brought by competitors.

OC4 Modern Day Plant Based Culinary Challenge

40-minutes competition

Plant-based cooking is a culinary approach centred around the use of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds as the primary ingredients, replacing or minimizing animal-derived products such as meat, dairy, and eggs, with a focus on promoting health, sustainability, and diverse flavours through creative and innovative recipes.

Competitors will have 40 minutes to create two (2) plated or take away portions of a dish
suitable for vegans. Plant-based produce should to be central to the plate and the “flavour hero”. The most crucial factor is the taste. Judges will evaluate the overall flavour profile, balance, texture and seasoning of the dishes as well the creative usage of the products and the level of skills used in the competition.

Competitors will need to provide a menu card for the judges to review with an allergen sheet.

JC1 Junior Pasta

40-minutes competition

Competitors are required to create a pasta dish in 40 minutes for two (2) covers using fresh pasta which can be brought in but not rolled or shaped.

This can be either a sweet or savoury dish. As a pasta class the judges will be looking for at least 50% of the dish to be pasta. Judges are looking to see the skill of the competitor in the pasta preparation element of their chosen dish. All the ingredients to be provided by the competitor.

Competitors will need to provide a typed recipe for the judges to review with an allergen sheet.

JC3 Scottish Young Chef of the Year 2025

120-minutes competition

Sponsored by  

120 minutes will be allowed for competitors to produce a three (3) course meal of their choice for four (4) covers. Competitors are permitted a commis chef to help, carry and assist, but not cook, (the commis chef must not be older than the competitor).

Competitors to supply all ingredients and light equipment. The winner will receive “The Scottish Young Chef of the Year Bill Kendrew Trophy”, and a unique learning experience at one of the UK’s most prestigious venues to enhance their skill-set and arm them well for their future careers, courtesy of The Scotch Beef Club (QMS).

1^st Course Chefs are to start their menu with a filled fresh pasta dish, suitably garnished, which contains one ingredient that has been foraged or sourced locally. 

2^nd Main Course competitors MUST use Specially Selected Scotch Pork using two cuts of choice with appropriate balance of protein to vegetables with accompanying garnishes.

3^rd Course MUST include pears & chocolate with appropriate garnish and sauces

Judges will mark on the following criteria:

• Presentation and content of your submitted entry
• Seasonality
• Provenance & sustainability
• Working methods
• Professional techniques and culinary skills
• Wastage
• Hygiene practices
• Timing
• Quality and balance of textures and flavours
• Presentation of finished dishes

Mise-en-Place allowed:

• Washed and peeled vegetables and fruit, but not cut
• Stocks
• No finished sauces
• Weighed ingredients
• Uncooked pastry

All entries must be supplied with menus, recipes, method and photographs, as they will be subject to a first stage of paper judging to choose the final eight (8) competitors who will compete in the Live Theatre at ScotHot.

JC2 Sustainable Fish Dish

45-minutes competition

Sponsored by 

45 minutes will be allowed to prepare, cook and present an original fish dish using sustainable Scottish species, for four (4) covers. Shellfish may only be used as a garnish and not as a main item and should therefore not predominate. Advance preparation should be kept to a minimum. All Ingredients and equipment to be supplied by the competitor. All fish used should be classed as sustainable using the Marine Conservation
Society Good Fish Guide as a reference. Belhaven Smokehouse are happy to supply smoked products from their product range for use in the competition. Please contact them on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss.

Sustainability will be judged on species, seasonality, availability and catch methods. All entries must be supplied with menus, recipes, method and photographs, as they will be subject to a first stage of paper judging to choose the final eight (8) competitors who will compete at ScotHot.