At Toque d’Or®, we’re looking to attract fresh talent from around the country with a unique hospitality competition which focuses on illuminating college students potential. We aim to provide the opportunity for ambitious students to take to the grand stage and showcase their creativity, giving them a chance to ignite their futures.
Please read all information and instructions carefully and take note of entry requirements and submission deadlines. The competition format and challenges may change due to unforeseen circumstances. Students and lecturers will be notified of any changes to the competition.
1. HOW TO REGISTER FOR TOQUE D’OR® 2025
DEADLINE: 17th January 2025
All students must be registered by a lecturer to take part. As a lecturer, you can register Back of House and Front of House students at levels 2, 3 or 4 (or national equivalent, e.g. levels 5, 6 and 7 in Scotland).
Only students aged 18 - 25 (as of 10th March 2025) will be eligible to progress to the heats stage of the competition.
Read the competition Terms & Conditions here.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AS LECTURER:Registrations are now closed. Please ensure your registered students submit their task by the deadline. More on this below. |
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AS A STUDENT: Registrations are now closed. If you've been registered by your lecturer, ensure you complete and submit your entry task by the deadline. More on this below. |
2. COMPLETE THE TASK
DEADLINE: 23:59 on 14th February 2025
Participants are required to complete an entry task for either Back or Front of House at their college under the supervision of their lecturer. Subsequently, they will be able to submit their entry virtually after the registrations are closed.
All students are eligible to participate in this stage of the competition, but only those between 18 and 25 as of the 10th of March 2025 will be eligible to move to the next stage.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AS LECTURER: Submissions are now closed. On February 27th, we will communicate the students shortlisted to the Heats. |
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AS A STUDENT: Submissions are now closed. On February 27th, we will communicate the students shortlisted to the Heats. |
3. THE HEATS
DATES: 10th to 13th March 2025
LOCATION: The Grand Cookery School, York.
The National Heats will take place over 4 days at The Grand Cookery School, York. Students and lecturers will be contacted by our agency YES to arrange the dates that they will be competing, as all as arranging their travel and accommodation. 24 BOH and 24 FOH students will be selected to take part in the Heats. From this stage 6 Back of House finalists, and 6 Front of House finalists will be selected to advance to the Grand Finals.
4. GRAND FINALS
DATE: 11th to 15th May 2025
LOCATION: TBC
The Grand Finals will span several days. During the Grand Finals, 6 Back of House and 6 Front of House students will take part in exciting challenges all over the UK, learning new skills, networking with industry peers, and receiving direct feedback from expert judges.
NOTE: On February 27th, we will communicate the students shortlisted to the Heats and by March 21st, we will communicate the students shortlisted for the Finals via email and social media. Only the students shortlisted to the Heats and Finals will be contacted by our third-party agency, YES, to make their arrangements for these stages of the competition.
5. AWARDS
DATE: 6th June 2025
LOCATION: TBD, London
All 12 Toque d’Or® finalists, and their lecturers, will be invited to attend the awards ceremony held in London in June. During the awards, the two Grand Prize Winners of the hospitality competition for 2025 will be announced - one Front of House student and one Back of House student.
6. WINNERS’ TRIP AND PRIZESIT'S ITALY! DATES: 1st week of July 2025 The overall winners of the competition will receive an incredible 1-week trip to Italy! The trip will take them to various locations in Italy, where they will experience the country's renowned gastronomy and culinary traditions. They will have the opportunity to explore Italian cuisine, taste regional specialties, and immerse themselves in the culinary culture of Italy. The trip will commence on the first week of July 2025. |
College Prizes
We are thrilled to announce that the Savoy Educational Trust is generously funding prizes for all participating colleges in the Heats, Finals, and Winning stages of our competition. This funding aims to reward participants in the following ways:
- Stage 1: National Heats £150 per student, totalling £7,200 awarded to all colleges involved.
- Stage 2: Grand Finals £1,000 per student, totalling £12,000 awarded to all participating colleges.
- Stage 3: Winning Colleges Two winning colleges—one for Back of House and one for Front of House—will each receive an additional £1,000.
In total, the prize fund amounts to an impressive £21,200, demonstrating the Savoy Educational Trust’s commitment to nurturing and supporting culinary talent at every stage of the competition.
Important Note: The grant is awarded to the college, not directly to students or lecturers. Colleges must redeem their prizes with Russum's for equipment. For more details, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. The Savoy Educational Trust is dedicated to supporting education, training, and skills development in the hospitality sector.
Lecturers Prizes
Toque d’Or® will award prizes to the lecturers who enter the highest number of Back of House and Front of House students under 18. Each lecturer will receive a £100 voucher to be redeemed at Russum's. Lecturers of the winning BOH and FOH competitors will also receive a prize from Nestlé Toque d’Or®, to be announced at the Awards.
Prizes for students who can’t progress to Heats
The three best Back of House and three best Front of House student entries under 18 years old will receive a £100 voucher prize to be redeemed at Russum's.
