The ten regional winners and the two wildcard entrants will cook over the course of the two days at the School Food People Show & Forum which is taking place at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole this summer.
Organised by The School Food People and sponsored this year by Bisto from Premier Foods, SCOTY is the education catering sector’s premier culinary skills competition. The competition aims are to show the high quality of school meals and the contribution they make to the health and wellbeing of their children.
The competition was open to all kitchen-based staff involved in the daily preparation of pupils’ meals in schools across the UK whether from a local authority or contract-catered site, managed in-house, academy school or part of a Multi-Academy Trust.
SCOTY entrants cooking Tuesday 7th July (morning):
- Nicolas Poilblanc, Aspens Services (West Midlands)
- Dugyu Dee Karakas, Big Fresh Catering (Wales)
- Ghyslain Pramayon, Impact Food Group (East Midlands)
SCOTY entrants cooking Tuesday 7th July (afternoon):
- Ben Finn, Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust (North East & Scotland)
- Andy Lidster, Impact Food Group (South East)
- Katherine Ruffalls, Nourish Catering (London)
SCOTY entrants cooking Wednesday 8th July (morning):
- Richard Hardy, Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust (North East & Scotland, wildcard)
- Jenna McHeagh, HCL Ltd (East of England)
- Taher Jibet, Impact Food Group (South West)
SCOTY entrants cooking Wednesday 8th July (afternoon):
- Josiah Wuermli, NYES Catering (Yorkshire & Humberside)
- Terri-Ann Vinneall, Oundle School (East Midlands, wildcard)
- Colin Sealey, Totally Local Company (North West)
At the national final, the national winner will receive a £1,000 cash prize, the 2026 School Chef of the Year trophy and an invitation to a calendar of catering industry events. The national second and third place winners will receive £500 and £300 respectively.
You can register for free entry to the School Food Show to watch the live final take place.