Applications are open for Unox UK’s ultimate cooking competition

Unox UK is calling on catering students to put their culinary skills to the ultimate test as it opens applications for its globally renowned cooking competition, CombiGuru!

The company is inviting the best catering students in the UK to partake in CombiGuru! a competition that offers students the opportunity to enhance their culinary skills in a unique and exciting learning environment.

Students are invited to sign up for the CombiGuru app, which will test their knowledge of the gastronomic world with a quiz. The students with the highest scores will the advance to the next stage: The Oven Challenge, which will see them flown out to Unox’s headquarters in Padua for an all-expenses-paid three-day trip to Italy. The Oven Challenge is where the competition really heats up, as the students compete in a practical cooking challenge where they prepare and present two dishes for a expert jury. The winning student will take away a Unox oven for their college – on top of an incredible individual prize to be revealed after the contest.

Commenting on the competition, Unox UK’s managing director, Scott Duncan, says: “We are very excited about CombiGuru 2025 - the competition gets bigger and better every year and we’re always so pleased to see the growing number of colleges applying – the enthusiasm is really rewarding.

“The whole purpose of this competition is to support the education and development of student chefs. CombiGuru! is a fantastic opportunity for catering students to meet their industry peers from across the UK and experience  a taste of what it’s like to cook in a professional kitchen, as it enables them to work with the same professional equipment used in venues across the foodservice industry - from Michelin-star restaurants to well-known chains and care homes.  This is a unique opportunity for budding chefs to take their skills to the next level and receive valuable feedback from industry professionals. We’re looking forward to meeting 2025’s finalists in Italy next April. Good luck to all!”

For the last UK competition, students were greeted in Italy with a surprise special guest judge - Great British Menu finalist, and industry-renowned chef, Nathan Davies, who is pictured above, says: “I think that the CombiGuru! competition is amazing. There are very few brands investing in catering students in this way. To see it all in action – the time given by the Unox team, the space and equipment provided, and general hospitality – really was immense.

“The whole trip is managed so well – from flying all the students and lecturers out to Italy, to the professionalism of the competition and providing students with an unforgettable day trip to Venice afterwards.  This is one of the top cooking competitions for students out there – without a doubt. I wish all the finalists in 2025 the very best of luck.”

Preparing to run for its eighth year, the competition has been cooking up a storm across Italy, Spain, and the UK. This year alone saw more than 3,000 students from across the three countries sign up, with 23 colleges taking away MIND.Maps oven by Unox. Offering students both a fun and disciplined educational experience, CombiGuru! is ready to excite and inspire the next generation of chef.

 The competition is open to students studying a catering course at Level 2 or equivalent. Those wanting to apply can sign up and participate for free by visiting www.combiguruchallenge.com/en_gb/. Budding applicants have until 31^st December 2024 to register for CombiGuru 2025. The Oven Challenge will take place in the first week of April 2025.

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