Seafood Chef & FOH Team Competition 2026 for Students and Apprentices
Are you a student or apprentice chef with a passion for seafood?
Or a student/apprentice front of house service person with flair?
The Master Chefs of Great Britain (MCGB) are proud to launch our very first dedicated Seafood Chef & FOH Team Competition — a nationwide search for the most exciting new talent working with Britain’s finest sustainable seafood. If you’re ready to showcase your skills, teamwork and creativity, this is your moment.
This competition is open exclusively to apprentice/students chefs and apprentice/student front-of-house persons across the UK, with up to two entries per college.
What the Competition Involves
Chefs
Competitors will have 1½ hours to prepare, cook and serve three portions of a seafood main course.
You will be required to:Prepare a skin on 260g salmon supreme and fillet a whole sustainable plaice in front of the judges
Cook and present both salmon and plaice with:
a shellfish garnish
an appropriate sauce
two garnishes of your choice
This is your chance to show technique, imagination, sustainability awareness — and how well you can work with your front-of-house partner.
Front of House
Your role is to deliver polished service and seamless communication with your chef. You will:
Lay a fully dressed table for two, with appropriate crockery, glassware and a centrepiece relevant to the competition
Create a mocktail of your choice (judges will taste pre-service)
Take guest allergen/dietary information and relay it accurately to your chef
Communicate timings, serve water and wine, and present the main course, explaining its key elements to the guests
After service, demonstrate barista skills by preparing one espresso and one café latte
Wine will be provided.
The winning chef-FOH team will receive
MCGB Apprentice Chef Trophy
MCGB Apprentice Front of House Trophy
£500 to the winning team
A five-day placement at the two-Michelin-star Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
A Roller Grill Rise and Fall Grill for the winning kitchen
The winning team will cook and serve their dish at the MCGB Seafood Masterclass on Tuesday 21st April 2026
All finalists receive:
A Master Chefs of Great Britain jacket and apron
The Seafood Chef & FOH Team Competition 2026 — a celebration of teamwork, talent and sustainable produce. If you love seafood, thrive under pressure and want to make waves in the industry, bring your talent to the table.
How to enter
Enter online by completing the form below, by 27 February 2026. Up to two entries permitted per college.
You will need to submit (at initial entry):
A photograph of your dish
Full recipes and working methods
A short biography, including why you want to take part
What winning would mean to you
Entry form
Important dates
Paper entries close: 27th February 2026
Finalists announced: 16th March 2026
Grand Final: 14th April 2026 at City of Glasgow College
Competition Terms and Conditions
Only one entry per individual. Only two entries per college. Entrants must submit an entry as detailed above. Entries must be received by 27th February 2026 to be considered. Finalists will be selected by a panel of expert judges and invited to take part in a live cook-off at City of Glasgow College on 14th April 2026. The organisers reserve the right to publish submitted recipes and images for promotional purposes. The competition is organised and administered by the Master Chefs of Great Britain, headquartered in Scotland. All decisions by the judging panel are final. By entering, participants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
