Revealed - 2025 AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year shortlist

The countdown is on for one of the hospitality industry’s most prestigious accolades - the AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year.

The winner will be announced at the AA Hospitality Awards on September 22, 2025, during a star-studded event at JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London.

First launched in 1996, the Chefs’ Chef award is unique because it’s voted for solely by fellow chefs. It honours those who have made a standout impact in kitchens across the UK - recognising exceptional leadership, creativity, and influence in the industry.

This year’s shortlist showcases 12 leading chefs from across the UK, including Hélène Darroze, Pam Brunton, and Aktar Islam, as well as rising and established stars like Adam Handling, Lorna McNee, and Michael Wignall.

The full shortlist includes:

Adam Handling, Frog by Adam Handling
Aktar Islam, Opheem
Angela Hartnett, Murano
Brett Graham, The Ledbury
Clare Smyth, Core by Clare Smyth
Gareth Ward, Ynyshir
Hélène Darroze, The Connaught
Lorna McNee, Cail Bruich
Michael Wignall, The Angel at Hetton
Pam Brunton, Inver
Roberta Hall-McCarron, The Little Chartroom
Tom Kitchin, The Kitchin

The event will welcome over 1,000 hospitality professionals and feature a specially curated menu by Adam Smith, Executive Chef at Woven by Adam Smith, based at Coworth Park Hotel. His restaurant holds an impressive 5 AA Rosettes.

Speaking ahead of the awards, Adam Smith said: “I am truly honoured to curate the menu for this year’s AA Hospitality Awards. It’s always a wonderful evening that brings together our incredible hospitality industry, and this year holds special significance for me.”

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, added: “The Chefs’ Chef Award is one of the most meaningful of the night. It’s a celebration of excellence, respect and camaraderie - chosen by those who understand the craft best. We’re excited to shine a light on those pushing boundaries in British kitchens.”

Voting is open to AA Rosette-holding chefs and closes on August 1, 2025.

One Community. One Purpose. Powered by You.

In this industry, we look out for each other. That’s what being a chef is all about - shared graft, shared passion, shared success. And for the past 17 years, The Staff Canteen has been your space to connect, to learn, to be inspired - a tribe built by chefs, for chefs.

• 5,000+ recipes to sharpen your skills.
• 2,000+ videos to fuel your creativity.
• 1,000+ features sharing the real stories of this industry.
• Daily industry news as it happens.
• Hospitality’s largest social media platform - connecting over 560,000 followers worldwide.
We know times are tough, and every kitchen’s feeling it. But if we stand together, we’ll get through it - and we’ll come out stronger.

Think of it as buying the community a coffee - just £3 to keep us going.
Your support keeps this space free, independent, and dedicated entirely to you and your industry. Together, we can keep inspiring chefs everywhere.

Chip in £3, drive us forward, and keep the community strong. Thank you.

We’re in this together. And together, we move forward.