Celebrating two decades of rewarding the industry’s best, 2013 is an extra-special year for the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards, widely considered the ‘Oscars’ of the chef world.
Next year’s ceremony will double up as a 20th anniversary celebration and will take place on Monday 10 June in The Great Room at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair, London.
To mark the landmark occasion, the 2013 theme has been confirmed as emerald, a green jewel that signifies a 20 year milestone and will bear the Guild’s emblem on awards night.
Looking for n nominations
Organisers are now looking for nominations for candidates from across the chef profession for 15 award categories, candidates who must demonstrate culinary excellence in their field.
Categories remain the same as last year except for the Education Chef Award, which has become the Chef Lecturer Award to recognise the evolution of the education sector and the motivating force behind the UK’s student chefs. They are:
Apprentice Chef, Armed Services Chef, Banqueting Chef, Chef Lecturer, Competition Chef, Contract Catering Chef, Cost Sector Chef, Development Chef, Ethnic Chef, New Restaurant of the Year Chef, Pastry Chef, People’s Choice, Pub Restaurant Chef, Restaurant Chef, Young Chef.
The Special Award
A 16th award is reserved each year for one very special person that the Craft Guild believes has made an outstanding contribution to the industry, over and above the call of duty. Last year’s went to Cyrus Todiwala, widely considered the Godfather of Indian cuisine in the UK and one of the most charismatic, colourful and enlightening chefs in the industry.
To mark the 20th anniversary, all 19 previous winners of the special award will be invited to this year’s glittering awards ceremony, expected to be attended by more than 800 industry professionals, a phenomenal achievement for the leading chef’s association in the UK.
Be in it to win it
Craft Guild of Chefs vice president and awards organiser Steve Munkley said:
“In the ‘chefs’ circle, it will be the biggest event of the year and I, personally, am so proud of how the awards have evolved in the past 20 years and the way chefs feel about receiving one.
“One thing that does need emphasising, however, is that, if a chef isn’t in it, they can’t win it, and no-one should question why someone hasn’t been named if they haven’t nominated them. We want to know about chefs that demonstrate outstanding culinary excellence, whatever sector they work in, to give them the chance to win a place in our hall of fame.”
The Craft Guild of Chefs awards aim to reward leading lights from across the industry, whether they work in a village pub, fine dining restaurant, city university, a military unit or in contract catering. They might even be development chefs for national retailers.
For a chance to win, candidates must first be nominated by a peer or mentor. They are then scrutinised by a panel of judges comprising experts from various sectors.
For the People’s Choice Award, now in its third year, a shortlist will be drawn up from the nominations and put up on an online voting forum to find an overall winner. While voting is not exclusive to the Craft Guild of Chefs’ 1,500 members, it is an invaluable way for its membership to become more interactive.
To nominate someone for a prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs Award click here. The deadline for entries is 15 February 2013.