Nestlé Professional® Crowns 2025 Toque d’Or® Champions

Nestlé Professional has announced the winners of the 37th edition of its prestigious hospitality competition Toque d’Or. Thomas Brassington from Loughborough College has been crowned back-of-house (BOH) champion and Katie Blundell from Hugh Baird College has taken the front-of-house (FOH) title, after an action-packed Grand Finals Week (11-15 May).

Each winning college has been awarded an additional £1,000 in prize funds as part of the £21,200 grant provided by the Savoy Educational Trust, which has been rewarded to all colleges who participated in this year’s National Heats and Grand Finals.

This year’s competition also marks the introduction of the Nestlé Professional ‘Green Spatula’ Award. An accolade set up by the foodservice team at Nestlé, in partnership with The World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs), to recognise one BOH and one FOH finalist for showcasing exceptional levels of commitment to sustainability and environmental practices. Serin Hassan from Westminster Kingsway College scooped the special BOH prize for recognising the importance of sustainability in their ingredient choices and cooking methods, while Victoria Royer from Coleg Cambria took the FOH award for showcasing an exceptional understanding of sustainability’s role within the hospitality industry.

Grand Finals Week started with a trip to Nestlé’s partner farm in Suffolk where finalists explored regenerative agriculture with Nestlé’s community lead, Robin Sundaram. The group then headed to the neighbouring, picturesque Wyken Vineyards for a tantalising challenge. BOH competitors learned how to create hand-stretched pizza with Pizza Pilgrims, while FOH finalists took a tour of the vineyard to hear all about the wine making process. Each competitor put their learnings to the test by serving an irresistible lunch pairing of pizza and wine to community guests.

A key highlight of the week was a bespoke NHS culinary challenge held at London’s St Bartholomew’s Hospital, where finalists served a grab-and-go style lunch to more than 100 frontline staff. BOH competitors prepared a delicious soup with freshly-baked bread and FOH finalists paired the food with a beverage of their choice. A talk, led by Mel Crawford, associate director of Patient Catering & Food Service at Barts Health Trust, showcased the vital role food and drink plays in contributing to patient and staff wellbeing, as well as the breadth of roles available in NHS catering.

The next day a pub menu challenge with Greene King saw BOH finalists create and cost a seasonal starter, main and dessert for a mock Chef & Brewer Autumn/Winter menu. This was followed by taste tests on curries and brownies designed to test the chefs’ palates, creativity and know-how. The six FOH competitors visited The Alchemist in London for a cocktail and mocktail masterclass, tapping into the latest mixology trends. Both groups heard from Only A Pavement Away, a charity which supports people struggling to work by finding them jobs within hospitality, such as those facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans.

The week culminated with a private dinner at Adam Handling’s Michelin-starred Frog in Covent Garden and the prestigious Fine Dining Challenge, which took place at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu. Paired into six teams of two, the finalists created and served a three-course sustainable menu with matching English wines to the judges.

Adam Handling MBE said: “It was such a privilege to be part of Toque d’Or this year. The energy, the drive, and the commitment these young people showed was seriously impressive. Competitions like this are where careers are made and I have no doubt we’ll be seeing many of them doing amazing things in the years to come.”

George Hersey added: “Watching the students grow over the course of this competition has been inspiring. From their attention to detail and overall knowledge to their enthusiasm and execution, they’ve all blown me away with their performance. They really embraced the challenges and showed that hospitality can make a real difference to communities, to sustainability, and to people’s lives. This competition is proof of just how powerful hospitality is and I hope the finalists can all use this experience to inspire others.”

Katya Simmons, managing director of Nestlé Professional UK&I, said: “Every year Toque d’Or raises the bar, and 2025 is no exception. Our final 12 showcased their talent and creativity but also a real understanding of the issues shaping the future of our industry, from sustainability to community impact.

“We’re immensely proud to support the next generation of hospitality professionals, working hand-in-hand with industry partners to give students meaningful, real-life experience. Seeing their passion during Finals Week in such a high-pressure environment has been truly inspiring. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s competition another success, and huge congratulations to our brilliant winners Thomas and Katie.”

Thomas Brassington, BOH Winner said: “This means a lot to me, it’s the first competition I’ve done by myself. I’ve loved the whole experience, it’s been outstanding and I’m looking forward to the winner’s trip in Italy.”

Katie Blundell, FOH Winner said: “It means everything to me, not just winning but the opportunity to improve my skills and learn things I didn’t know I was capable of doing.”

This year’s winners, Thomas and Katie, are now set to embark on an extraordinary culinary trip to Italy next month. The duo will have the unique opportunity to explore Italian cuisine, taste regional specialities and immerse themselves in the country’s renowned gastronomy and culinary traditions.