The hunt is on to find the best home cook in the South West.
Are you, or do you know someone who’s a wizard in the kitchen and deserves to shine? Do you have a passion for cooking? Are you always being told you should do something with your culinary talents?
Entries are now open for the Home Cook category of the prestigious South West Chef of the Year 2026 – giving talented amateur cooks across the region a chance to showcase their skills in front of some of the UK’s top chefs.
The South West Chef of the Year competition, co-founded by Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines MBE DL, celebrates the best cooking talent from across the South West – and the Home Cook category offers a unique opportunity for anyone aged 16 or over, who has never trained or worked in the catering industry, to step into the spotlight.
Michael said: “There’s so much talent in home kitchens across the South West, and this competition is a chance to bring that into the spotlight. If you love cooking and take pride in the food you create, we’d really encourage you to enter. Whether you’re cooking for friends, family or hosting your own supper clubs, it all counts – what matters is your passion for great local ingredients and delicious food.”
Home Cooks are asked to create two delicious dishes using a few principal seasonal, locally sourced ingredients provided by the competition, and entrants can select their own accompanying ingredients.
Those who impress the judges will be invited to cook live in the finals at Exeter College on Saturday 10 October – with expert feedback from a panel of top chefs including Michael Caines, Scott Paton and Tim Kendall.
The Home Cook category has helped launch many exciting journeys in food – from supper club hosts to food writers and beyond. It’s not about professional plating or fancy gadgets – it’s about flavour, flair and a real passion for cooking. Could that be you – or someone you know?
Steve Ashworth, from Taunton, was the Home Cook winner in 2013. He said, “When I entered South West Chef of the Year as a home cook in 2013, I just wanted reassurance that I really could cook well. I wasn’t a professional, I wasn’t confident – I simply loved food. Winning showed me that this competition is genuinely for everyone. If you’ve got a passion for food, you deserve to put yourself forward. In doing so, it will open up a whole new world of food opportunities and give you friends for life.”
Munopa Nheta won Home Cook in 2022 and South West Junior Chef of the Year in 2019. She now works as a chef at William Sitwell’s hotel, The White Hart in Wiveliscombe,
She said, “Participating in Home Cooks has changed the way I view my cooking. I now have more confidence in my dishes and my process. Being in a category with great cooks and getting to hear professional chefs say they loved my food will always shine as one of the reasons I went on to work in food.
And she would encourage others to take part. She added, “I would say just do it! The joy of putting up a dish that you’ve worked hard on in front of industry professionals isn’t something that happens often for home cooks. It’s a chance for people other than family and friends to see your food and appreciate your talent.”
Applicants must live in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire or Wiltshire, and entries close on Friday, 31 July. For entry details, visit: www.southwestchef.co.uk
Finalists and winners will be celebrated at the glittering Awards Presentation Dinner on Tuesday 27 October, 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 or as a private chef
- Young Professional Chef – aged 18-24, working in any role in the kitchen up to and including junior sous chef
- Student/Apprentice Chef – aged 16-19 and at college or in an apprenticeship
- Junior Chef – aged 11-16 and still at school in year 11 or below (entries close 26th May)
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 Lewis Brown, Sous Chef at Narla by Charlie Walters, Fowey, Cornwall. 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 more information and to enter, visit: www.southwestchef.co.uk
