ENTRIES are now open for the Home Cook category of the South West Chef of the Year 2025, offering talented amateur chefs from across the region a golden opportunity to showcase their skills and creativity in front of some of the UK’s top culinary names.

The competition, co-founded by Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines MBE DL, has become a celebrated fixture in the region’s food calendar. While many categories focus on professional chefs, the Home Cook category is exclusively for passionate amateurs aged 16 or over who have never trained or worked in the catering industry.

Michael, whose flagship restaurant is the renowned Lympstone Manor, near Exeter is calling on food lovers from across the South West to step forward.

“The South West is full of incredible home cooks – and this competition is your chance to put your creativity and love of great ingredients to the test,” he said. “Whether you’ve honed your skills cooking for friends, family or supper clubs, we want to hear from you.”

Entrants are asked to design two delicious dishes using a selection of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients provided by the organisers. Participants can also choose their own additional ingredients to complement the core items.

The most impressive entries will be invited to take part in a live cook-off at Exeter College on Saturday, October 11, where they will prepare their dishes in front of a panel of expert judges. The panel includes some of the country’s most respected chefs, such as Michael Caines, Nathan Outlaw, Hywel Jones, Scott Paton and Peter Gorton.

The Home Cook category has previously helped launch a variety of exciting culinary journeys – from supper club hosts and food bloggers to aspiring cookbook authors. The focus is not on restaurant-style plating or expensive kitchen equipment, but rather on flavour, flair, and a genuine passion for cooking.

To be eligible, entrants must reside in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire or Wiltshire, and must submit their entries by Thursday, July 31.

Finalists and winners will be celebrated at the glittering Awards Presentation Dinner on Tuesday, October 28, where the region’s best chefs cook a four-course feast for guests at Exeter Golf and Country Club.

As well as Home Cook, entries in the competition are now open in the following categories: Professional Chef – any age, working as a sous chef/pastry chef or above; Young Professional Chef – aged 18 to 24, working in any role in the kitchen up to and including junior sous chef; Student/Apprentice Chef – aged 16 to 19 and at college or in an apprenticeship.

Competitors are given a list of seasonal ingredients and challenged to create their own unique dishes, with an emphasis on locally sourced produce.

Last year’s overall winner was Harrison Brockington who is head chef of Gather, Totnes. The competition has a proud track record of supporting the careers of some of the UK’s leading chefs, including Elly Wentworth, Simon Hulstone, Matt Mason and many others.

For full details and how to enter, visit: www.southwestchef.co.uk