Riso Gallo’s UK & Ireland Young Risotto Chef of the Year 2025 has officially opened for entries.
Aimed at young student chefs aged 17-23 years, who are in college education, entries are open until 31st March 2025.
Entrants are asked to produce, photograph and tell us why they chose their risotto dish, and those selected will be asked to attend a regional heat to produce their recipe.
As a sustainable producer, Riso Gallo are keen to reduce food waste, and hope to see the chefs use every part of their ingredients, where possible. Jason Morrison, MD of Riso Gallo UK, says; “By reducing food waste, we can help to create a positive impact on climate change. Food waste is a solvable problem, and we encourage young chefs to answer to the call to action and take responsibility for their creations.”
Regional winners will have their dishes judged by professional chefs at the top of their game at the Grand Final in London at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 2nd, where the winner will be named the Riso Gallo UK & Ireland Young Risotto Chef of the Year 2025.
Jacky Moss, YRCOTY Competition Manager said; “We’re expecting great things from our young chefs this year. We’ve made the decision to focus on those still in education this time to level the playing field and are also exploring options for a professional competition to see the creativity and innovation displayed by those already in service.
“Risotto is such a versatile dish and lends itself beautifully to every occasion – the standard is uniformly high in our competition and the proof as always will be in the tasting.”
Riso Gallo, the first international brand in the sector to have produced rice from sustainable agriculture, is supplying Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with its range of sustainable rice for use in their catering facilities.
Tottenham Hotspur was named the Premier League’s greenest club following a study carried out by the UN-backed Sport Positive Summit, with a range of sustainable measures implemented across their operations.
The winner will receive an all expenses paid three-day work experience with renowned judging chef Fabio Pisani and his team at the Michelin starred Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia in Milan, Italy.
The runner up will win a stage at the Italian Embassy in London.
Regional heats will take place at:
Ireland – Catex – 20th February
Northern Ireland – University Of Ulster – 16th May
Scotland – ScotHot, Glasgow – 26th/27th February
West Lothian College – 24th April
North East – Leeds College – 7th May
North West – Trafford College, Manchester – 29th April
Midlands – Loughborough College – 25th April
London – University Of West London – 28th April
South East – North Herts College – 30th April
GRAND FINAL – The H Club, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London – 2nd June 2025
The final judging panel will include chair of judges Paul Gayler MBE; joined by: Mark Reynolds, Executive Chef at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; Danilo Cortellini, Consultant Chef, Jiri Dvorak, Head Chef at The Italian Embassy, Adriano Cavagnini, Executive Chef at the Bvlgari Hotel; Fabio Pisani from Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia in Milan; Davide Degiovanni Head Chef at 5 Hertford St, Francesco Dibenedetto, Chef de Cuisine Brooklands at the Peninsula Hotel, in London and food journalist Barney Desmazery.
Jason Morrison commented; “For over 167 years, Riso Gallo has supplied many of the top chefs across the world with Italian rice of the highest quality. We understand their passion and commitment to their craft, and the years of training they undertake. We launched this competition to help foster and reward the next generation, who can inject personality, passion and creativity into their own vibrant, exciting risotto dish. Our UK & Ireland Young Risotto Chef of the Year has gone from strength to strength each year.”
Riso Gallo’s UK & Ireland Young Risotto Chef of the Year 2025 is supported by the Craft Guild of Chefs, Koppertcress, Essential Cuisine, Chef & Restaurant Magazine, Masterchefs GB, Filippo Berio and RAK Porcelain.
