- Ashford Castle chef named Young National Chef of the Year finalist
- Lewis Nicholas among ten finalists
- Final takes place 6 October 2026 at Le Cordon Bleu London
- Competition organised by Craft Guild of Chefs
- Finalists represent prominent restaurants across England and Ireland
Lewis Nicholas a chef at Ashford Castle in County Mayo has been named a finalist for the London-based Young Chef of the Year title. The finalists for the 2026 competition include ten rising culinary talents who will compete in the final on 6 October 2026 at Le Cordon Bleu in London. The competition recognises emerging talent in hospitality kitchens.
The ten talents competing for the title represent prominent restaurants and establishments. They include Ben Cleary of The Forest Side Hotel, Dylan Evans and Hope Ryall-Thurlow of Henrock by Simon Rogan, Lewis Nicholas of Ashford Castle, Zach Shaw of The Peat Inn, Eno West of Northcote and Toby Whitehead of Woven by Adam Smith. They are joined by seeded finalists Inez Roggema of The Ledbury and Alex Williams of Mallory Court Country House Hotel and Spa.
The competition is organised by the Craft Guild of Chefs.
