The Roux Scholarship Announces its 18 Regional Finalists for the 2026 Competition

The Roux Family are delighted to share the names of the 18 chefs who have reached the regional finals for The Roux Scholarship 2026. This year, 12 of the 18 finalists are new to the competition, with four of last year’s national finalists qualifying among them. The chefs come from establishments as far afield as Northern Ireland and Devon.

The 18 chefs, and two reserves, were selected from their written recipes that based on the recipe challenge*. The recipes were submitted anonymously to the judges, who took part in the Recipe Judging day at The Waterside Inn on 11th February 2026. The 18 finalists will compete in two regional finals which will be held simultaneously on Thursday 5th March 2026 at University College Birmingham and University of West London, Ealing.

THE CHEFS COMPETING IN LONDON:

Judging in London: Michel Roux, Brian Turner CBE, Emily Roux, André Garrett MCA, Angela Hartnett OBE, Mark Birchall, James Martin.

THE CHEFS COMPETING IN BIRMINGHAM:

Judging in Birmingham: Alain Roux, Simon Hulstone, Rachel Humphrey, Sat Bains, Adam Smith MCA. 

There are two chefs in reserve (should any finalists not be able to compete):

William Salter, L’Enclume, Cumbria

Harry Sutton, Lainston House Hotel, Hampshire

*Recipe challenge

For the recipe application, Roux Scholarship 2026 applicants were invited to create a recipe for four people using the following ingredients and criteria: One Devon White slow grown, free-range chicken, and its chicken livers, along with two simple or composed garnishes/accompaniments one of which had to be predominantly leek-based. A sauce had to accompany the dish. The regional finalists will have 2.5hrs to cook their dish, along with a dessert devised and prepared from a mystery box of ingredients given to them on the day. The judges will be looking for recipes and methods, which demonstrate the best balance of creativity, taste, style and practicality in the finished dishes.

QUOTES FROM THE JUDGES

Chairman Michel Roux Jr: “There was a very high level of cooking, which was reflected in how difficult it was to come to a decision on who to put through to the regional finals. The clever and full use of the whole of the chicken was what impressed us most: the carcass, the wings, the legs. That’s what we were looking for.”

Chairman Alain Roux: “It is great to see so many chefs have been supported to enter the competition by some of the best restaurants in the country at every level. It’s also great to see the past winners, our Roux Scholars, support their chefs. This is what it’s all about: passing on the skills, knowledge and talent to the next generation.”

Emily Roux: “There were some really delicious recipes to read, I think we’re going to be blown away at the regional finals. There are some amazing restaurants from throughout the UK represented and I think it’s going to be a tough regional and final. I’m excited for it.”

Lisa Goodwin-Allen: “It was my first time judging the recipes and I thought some of them were really interesting, with some great detail. Some were more focussed on using the leek in different ways, and others used as much of the chicken as possible, and so there was less wastage. And it was all about showing their creativity and what can be done in the 2.5 hours.”

Mark Birchall: “I thought all the chefs who’ve got through, really deserve their places. There are some really interesting recipes and nice combinations and nice techniques with their proteins, it’s going to be delicious to taste them all.”

Key facts: