The winner of The Roux Scholarship 2025 will have the choice between two star prizes

Option one: The stage
The winner receives an invitation to cook and train under the supervision of a leading chef at a prestigious three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world (Britain included!) for up to two months. Expenses such as flights and accommodation are all covered. Previous scholars have used this opportunity learn from some of the world’s best chefs, to learn new skills and about new ingredients and to enjoy the short-term experience of living in a different city or country.  

Option two: Bespoke Roux Scholarship programme
A programme of training opportunities tailored to the individual winner’s career goals and gaps in their skill set, to the total value of £12,000.  The winner will work with the Roux Family and The Roux Scholarship team to choose a list of up to six short educational experiences, visits and stays in the UK and a maximum of two abroad, to help their individual career development. For example, if the winner wants to perfect their chocolate-making skills, we can help arrange a course with Valrhona in France; maybe they would like to learn Japanese knife skills, then we send them to Japan for a week, Richard Bertinet offers every Roux Scholar pursuing the bespoke programme a chance to learn about baking at Bertinet’s Kitchen in Bath. There might also be non-culinary skills that could be useful to a Roux Scholar: perhaps they would like to learn a language to facilitate a career move abroad; or perhaps they want to learn more about the business side of running a restaurant, or participate in a management course. These learning opportunities can be taken at convenient times in the chef’s work schedule within twelve months of winning The Roux Scholarship.

An additional £6,000 will be awarded to the winner on completion of 15 months’ service with their employer following their win. The aim is to encourage the scholar to share with their brigade the new experiences, ideas and skills learned during their two-month stage in a three-Michelin star restaurant. Should they wish to leave their job within 15 months of winning, the £6,000 will be awarded to their employer to support the brigade’s development in other ways.

• A signed, framed commemorative certificate, signed by the judges.

• A visit with Aubrey Allen to Ireland to see first-hand the lush green pastures our Irish beef is raised on and how it is processed.

• An invitation to London for a personal consultation at the Bragard showroom, where the winner will be outfitted head-to-toe with Bragard uniform of their choice whilst sipping on Champagne. After the fitting, the winner and their chosen special guest will enjoy a luxurious afternoon tea for two at the iconic Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly, ending with a private behind-the-scenes kitchen tour. Plus two Bragard jackets.

• A trip to Paris, courtesy of Bridor, to attend a 3-day advanced course at the Lenôtre, including travel and accommodation.

• A year’s subscription to print and digital editions of The Caterer for one year. Plus two tickets to The Caterer’s annual awards, the Cateys, known as the hospitality industry’s Oscars, it is an exclusive, black tie event.
• Olive oil harvest experience with Filippo Berio in which the winner and a guest will be flown to the Toscana Saporita Estate in Tuscany, to uncover the secrets of Italian regional cuisine. They will experience the olive harvest first-hand at the Filippo Berio olive grove, which also serves as an outdoor laboratory for our extensive research initiatives. The trip will include a guided factory tour and you will learn the art of olive oil tasting from our master blender, who will share insights into the versatility and health benefits of olive oil. Founded in 1994 by Anne Bianchi and Sandra Rosy Lotti, Toscana Saporita is located in a beautifully restored 17th-century villa and welcomes students of all levels from around the globe. Classes are taught by four experienced professional chefs in a hands-on, intimate setting, conducted in English. This incredible trip includes round-trip flights to Pisa, two nights of accommodation for two, meals, cooking classes, and a culinary excursion with the Toscana Saporita team, and should be taken in November 2025.

• A guided meet and greet tour of Flying Fish in Cornwall, with a trip out on a RIB in St Austell Bay to the Deep Sea Mussel Farm. Plus dinner for two at Paul Ainsworth’s, No. 6 Padstow.

• Courtesy of Global Knives a 40^th Anniversary seven-piece knife block set, leather knife case and MS-472 sharpening kit.
• Lunch and consultation session with Gratte Brothers who will guide the winner through the process of opening a restaurant and the considerations to be made when designing both front and back-of-house areas.
• Complimentary membership of the Institute of Hospitality for one year.
• A trip to Belgium, courtesy of King’s Fine Foods, to visit Aqua Bio, the only sturgeon farms in Belgium, to see the whole process of how sturgeon are bread, grow and produce caviar. The trip also includes dinner at one of Belgium’s Michelin star restaurants.
• An exclusive Magnum of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle, signed by the judges at the final cook-off.
• An all expenses paid trip for two to the Champagne region of France to visit Laurent-Perrier’s Chateau de Louvois, with a vineyard visit and a tasting of various Grand Siècle iterations, as well as lunch or dinner. The winner will join a group of other guests visiting for an Expérience Grand Siècle, date TBC. Travel by Eurostar and overnight accommodation with dinner, bed and breakfast.
• A bottle of The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Year Old whisky plus an educational trip to The Macallan Distillery with the five other national finalists.
• Join Showerings Cider to tour their orchards and learn about apple varieties and ideal growing conditions. The winner will spend time with their head cider maker and learn about the history of cider and how it’s made. The day will include a tour of their mill to see it in action.
• Two nights in Copenhagen courtesy of TRUEfoods including a fabulous Michelin-starred dinner and city tour.
• Dinner at Moor Hall, the three-star Michelin restaurant from Mark Birchall Roux Scholar 2011 (accommodation and travel covered if required) courtesy of Wellocks.