Rules

By entering The Roux Scholarship 2026, competitors agree to be bound by the following rules of the competition:

• Age Limit. Entrants of the Roux Scholarship must be in employed as a professional chef in the United Kingdom and be aged 22 or above, but no older than exactly 30 on 1/2/2026.
• Details. Full details of the competition, how to enter and mandatory instructions are on the How to Enter page of the website which competitors must read in addition to these rules before entering. Please follow the instructions carefully including the list of items that are not permitted, any transgression will result in disqualification. For tips on how to do well, visit the advice page.
• Photograph/image of your dish. One and a maximum of two photographs may accompany your recipe as part of your entry if you feel these will enhance your entry.
• Your photo. You are required to provide a photo of yourself as part of the entry process. By uploading your photo you agree that the Roux Scholarship may use the photo for marketing purposes including use on social media. You must ensure your photo is of you facing and looking at the camera and should only show your head and shoulders.
• Training & qualifications. Entrants must have undertaken some or all of their training and/or apprenticeship in Great Britain or Ireland. Entrants would normally be expected to have either passed their NVQ level 2 or equivalent. Those who qualified in Ireland must have obtained their NTCB Certificate in Professional Cookery; and those who qualified abroad must have achieved the equivalent qualification in their home country. However, if a candidate does not possess these qualifications, in special circumstances an exception can be made. Supporting documentation and/or references will be required from existing or past employers. Please contact the organisers at the Institute of Hospitality on 020 8661 4900 as soon as possible to discuss if applicable.

• Eligibility for chefs from overseas on sabbaticals in the UK: chefs who are from outside the UK but are on stages or sabbaticals at UK restaurants may apply, provided that they comply with all eligibility criteria; they are working in the UK at the time of application and at the time of the regional heats and the final, if selected. Applicants should be aware that winners who are not permanently living and working in the UK after the competition, may be restricted in their ability to receive or fulfil certain prizes. Sponsors’ Prizes: Many sponsors’ prizes are UK-based experiences and may not be fully accessible to winners not permanently residing in the UK. Star Prize: a single restaurant stage abroad (up to three months) and up to five UK-based bespoke experiences, depending on the duration and cost of the stage abroad, with a total prize budget of £12,000.  If a chef usually based abroad (and in the UK on a placement/sabbatical for example) wins, but returns overseas during the year following the award, they may find it difficult to fully benefit from the prize.

• All entries are marked blind. Make sure your recipe, method and photographs are anonymous: no logos or personal identifiers should be visible or your entry will be discarded.

• Number of entries from the same establishment. Hotel and restaurants may submit multiple entries, providing each is from a different person.
• Previous Roux Scholars are excluded from entering, as are current employees of The Waterside Inn.
• Online entries only. All entries must be submitted through the official Roux Scholarship website online link, which will be sent to you after successful registration. If you send your entry via the post or as an email attachment you will not be entered into the competition. No responsibility can be accepted for lost or delayed entries. It is your responsibility to make sure it is submitted on time. Please DO NOT send a paper entry to any address associated with the Roux Family.
• Timings: at the regional finals, a maximum of two and a half hours cooking time is allowed at the regional final you to prepare and serve both their recipe and the dessert, which will be inspired by a ‘mystery box’ of ingredients and should serve four people. Therefore you should prepare your recipe bearing these timings in mind. At the regional finals, you should prepare your recipe, exactly as it was submitted on your entry form.
• Books are allowed for reference purposes on the day of the regional finals to help you plan your dessert, but the books cannot be taken into the kitchen. You will have half an hour to write out your recipe and work plan before you start cooking. No mobile phones are permitted during the preparation time.
• Entrants will be assessed continually while in the kitchen, by two or more judges. Marks will be awarded for culinary skills, organisation, hygiene etc.
• Ingredients: all ingredients should be of the highest quality and optimal freshness. Recipes must be meticulously planned to demonstrate a methodical approach and efficient use of all components. Judges will assess not only the final dish but also your approach to leftovers and wastage. Entrants are expected to demonstrate skill in using as much of the key ingredients as possible.  Thoughtful, sustainable use of ingredients is a mark of professional discipline and will form part of the overall evaluation.
• The judges will look for practical and imaginative use of the ingredients provided, and will pay particular attention to your costings, wastage, and the economical use of ingredients.
• The total cost of the complete dish should not exceed £25.00 per portion (ie. total £100 for four people).
• Any recipes without a clear title, and a full list of costings, will be disqualified. Incomplete entries will be not be submitted to the judges: please check carefully that you have completed all elements of the entry process and your latest CV is included.
• Pre-prepared ingredients, such as pastry, are not permitted and the time to make it should be factored into the timing of the recipe. A quick puff pastry is acceptable and can be achieved in 20 minutes.
• No use can be made of any pre-prepared stocks, truffles, foie gras or caviar.
• Should you qualify, you may bring your own crockery and items of equipment to the regional finals.
• Keep your own copy. Copies of entries must be kept by entrants for future reference, as correspondence cannot be returned. If you are selected to cook at the regional final you must cook exactly the same dish in your written entry on the day or you will be penalised.
• The organisers reserve the right to use and publish any submitted entry material.
• The judges’ decision at each stage of the competition is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• The prizes as set out on this site are correct at time of going to press but should any become unavailable for any reason, the organisers reserve the right to vary or amend them. No cash alternatives are available.
• Competitors enter and take part in the competition at their own risk. The organisers disclaim all and any liability to those competitors who take part in the competition, and to the scholar in respect of their participation in the prizes, save as covered under the organisers’ insurance arranged for the scholar.
• The organisers waive any responsibility for any tax liability resulting from the awarding of prizes.
• Relevant items from sponsors may be available for competitors to use in the kitchen at both the Regional & National finals. Where applicable entrants will be briefed in advance by the competition organisers.
• Data Protection. It is a condition of entry that entrants confirm on the entry form that they have read the Scholarship’s Privacy Policy, which is published on The Scholarship website, and give their consent to the Roux Scholarship holding personal information about them.
• All reasonable travel and subsistence expenses incurred by competitors to and from the competition (including Regional and National Finals), together with essential expenditure on ingredients, will be met by the Roux Scholarship, provided the expenditure is agreed in advance, and receipts are supplied to the competition organisers.
• The winner’s stage. The final decision on the winner’s training rests with the chairmen of the judges. The winner will have a discussion with a member of the Roux family to support them with their choice of stage destination or the bespoke training programme. If it suits the winner’s personal circumstances to do less than two months, this is acceptable; equally, they may choose a three-star Michelin restaurant in the UK if it suits them better than going abroad. It is important to remember that the stage and the training programme are entirely tailored to the winner and any concerns can be addressed as part of discussions.
• Timing of the winner’s stage: once the destination is agreed and the host restaurant has confirmed that it is possible it will take approximately three months from this date to make the arrangements. The winner should take note of these timescales when making their own diary plans.
• The bespoke training programme will be a tailored to fit around the winner’s work commitments within twelve months of winning The Roux Scholarship. 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, up to a value of £12,000.
• Mentor’s Award: The additional £6,000 Mentor’s Award is dependent upon the winner remaining with their UK employer for 15 months following their win, and is therefore not relevant or applicable to those on a fixed-term placement (eg. sabbatical) at a UK restaurant.