Since its launch in 1984, the Roux Scholarship has played a vital role in developing Britain’s professional culinary talent, providing chefs with opportunities to train in some of the world’s most respected kitchens. Widely regarded as the UK’s leading chef competition, the scholarship continues to champion technical excellence, ingredient knowledge and professional development across the hospitality industry.
Philip Tanswell, Managing Director of Cornish Sea Salt, said: "We are incredibly proud to support the next generation of professional chefs through the Roux Scholarship. The competition represents the very best of culinary craft, training and innovation within the hospitality sector.
High-quality salt is a fundamental ingredient in professional kitchens, forming the backbone of flavour development across multiple disciplines. Our sea salt is trusted by chefs, restaurants, caterers and foodservice operators globally for its consistency, versatility and performance across a wide range of commercial applications."
Harvested from the clean waters of Cornwall, Cornish Sea Salt provides products specifically valued within professional kitchens. Cornish Sea Salt Flakes are formed of soft, delicate pyramidal structures that dissolve quickly and evenly, making them ideal for seasoning during service and finishing dishes with precision and visual appeal.
The brand’s Crunchy Crystals offer a more robust texture and mineral-rich flavour, making them particularly suited for brining, curing, bakery, butchery, mixology and marinades. Their versatility supports chefs and foodservice professionals in delivering consistent, high-quality results across demanding service environments.
Supporting Culinary Excellence in Hospitality
Since the first competition in 1984, the Roux Scholarship has enabled a new generation of chefs from Britain to train in the greatest restaurants in the world. Not only has it become the industry’s most acclaimed chef competition in the UK, with many scholars having gone on to win Michelin stars themselves, it ranks among the most prestigious competitions for chefs in the world.
The Roux Scholarship is organised into three different stages. The most important part is the online application, which asks chefs to create a recipe using a particular set of ingredients. These applications are judged blindly to ensure complete fairness. This means the judges do not know the applicant’s identity, workplace or any personal details at all. From these applications, 18 chefs are selected to compete at the regional finals held in Birmingham and London. The most successful six chefs then go through to the national final.
“A world of opportunity comes with being a Roux Scholar”.
The judges include Alain Roux, Michel Roux, Brian Turner CBE and new honorary president for 2026 Manuro Colagreco.
The Regional finals take place on the 5th March taking place at University College Birmingham and University of West London and the National final on 13th April 2026 at the Alain Roux Culinary School, at The Waterside Inn, with the award ceremony taking place at Coworth Park, Berkshire.
Find out more about the Roux Scholarship here.
