Why Competitions Are Key to Promote Culinary Talent

Between November 2022 and January 2023, there were 146,000 vacancies in the UK hospitality sector according to the Office for National Statistics and chefs remain one of the most underfilled roles. As debates continue about the skills gap, can culinary competitions play their part in attracting and retaining industry talent?

I’m a firm believer in the strength of industry competitions and it always pleases me when clients get involved sponsorship, product donations, prizes and more – often collaborating with other suppliers to do their bit for the future of the industry.

MKN in particular has noted its responsibility as a leading manufacturer working with chefs across the industry, taking great pride in supporting industry competitions that recognise and reward culinary talent across key sectors.

And nowhere is that more evident here in the UK than in the public sector, with examples such as the NHS Chef Mentoring Event, which was hosted by MKN together with First Choice, and LACA School Chef of the Year (SCOTY).

The NHS Chef Mentoring Event has gone from strength to strength and it gives MKN the opportunity to show healthcare chefs how its equipment can help in their kitchens – whether that’s futureproofing technologies, energy efficiency or multifunctionality as kitchens keep getting smaller.

The prestigious LACA SCOTY was won by Raheem Morgan?just this month as part of the LACA Main Event in Birmingham. Raheem will now have the chance to join MKN on a study tour, visiting the company HQ in Germany to see its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.

With skills shortages still biting, I firmly believe culinary competitions have an extremely important role to play in promoting talent, showcasing the strength of the industry and attracting people to consider cooking as a career option. This is especially true when competitions are aimed at students or those starting out their career in a commercial kitchen.

Dare I say it, it also adds a bit of glitz and glamour to an industry that has – at times – had a reputation of being quite old fashioned. ?

Let’s all get involved, continue to support competitions and hopefully keep making progress to shorten that skills gap.

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